Topkapi Palace in Istanbul was built on the order of Sultan Mehmed II in the years after his conquest of Constantinople in 1453, and construction started around 1460 on the headland between the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara. For almost four centuries it was the main residence and administrative centre of the Ottoman sultans, until Sultan Abdulmecid I moved to the new Dolmabahce Palace in the middle of the nineteenth century. The complex is made up of several courtyards, pavilions, a treasury and the Harem, the private quarters of the sultan's family. After the end of the empire it was turned into a museum in 1924. It holds collections of imperial jewels, porcelain and sacred relics, and is part of the UNESCO-listed historic areas of Istanbul.
Before and after
- from 4 July 1456 to 22 July 1456Siege of Belgrade
- 28 January 1457Birth of Henry VII of England
- c. 1458Construction of Palazzo Pitti
- 2 March 1459Birth of Adrian VI
- 1460Construction of Topkapı Palace
- from 14 September 1460 to 15 August 1461Siege of Trebizond in 1461
- c. 1462Origins of Sarajevo
- 1462Construction of Cidade Velha
- from 1464 to 1591Songhai Empire
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 710 CEConstruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque
- from 2 February 962 CE to 6 August 1806Holy Roman Empire
- 990 CEConstruction of Château de Montsoreau
- from c. 1113 to 1150Suryavarman II builds Angkor Wat
- 1193Origins of Chernobyl
- 1373Construction of Leaning Tower of Pisa
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 15th century.