Page 26 - Turkinsurance Digital Magazine

26 cultural outlook

The Timeless Faces of Istanbul: Palaces

Istanbul - Topkapi Palace
It was built between 1460-1478. It was built between 1453-1478
by the order of Fatih Sultan Mehmet after the conquest of Istan-
bul. It was converted into a museum on April 3, 1924. It is one
of the richest museums. The palace is spread over an area of
700,000 m2 and is surrounded by the Sea of Marmara, the Bos-
phorus and the Golden Horn. The Topkapi Palace has three main
gates and four courtyards, namely the Imperial Gate (Bab-ı Hu-
mayun), the Greeting Gate (Babüsselam) and the Happiness Gate
(Babüssaade). It is one of the largest architectural monuments in
the world.

Istanbul - Dolmabahce Palace

It was built by Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-1861). The construc-
tion of Dolmabahçe Palace was started on June 13, 1843. It was
opened for use on 7 June 1856. It was established on an area of
110,000 square meters. It is a palace that was the residence of
Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey and the last six sul- Istanbul - Dolmabahce Palace
tans of the Ottoman Empire. It consists of three parts: Mabeyn-i

Istanbul - Topkapı Palace