More than 10,000 Ottoman artifacts on display at 5 new museums in Topkapı Palace

Located on Istanbul's historic peninsula, Topkapı Palace served for centuries as the official residence of the Ottoman sultans and the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. Today, it is among Türkiye's most significant cultural heritage sites and major tourist attractions.

The historic Darphane-i Âmire complex in the palace's First Courtyard now offers visitors a new opportunity to explore Ottoman history through its museum collections.

Spanning approximately 17,000 square meters and comprising 17 historic buildings, the complex has been restored and repurposed following a seven-year project led by the Directorate of National Palaces.

The five museums established within the complex bring together collections reflecting different aspects of the Ottoman Empire. Visitors can explore Chinese, European and Ottoman porcelain, weapons used by Ottoman sultans and statesmen, historic manuscripts and outstanding examples of Islamic calligraphy.

The collections also include historical maps illustrating the development of Ottoman geography and cartography, as well as industrial machinery used in coin production during the 19th century.

The collections feature approximately 5,300 porcelain pieces, 2,500 weapons, 2,000 examples of calligraphic art, 110 historical maps and 500 industrial objects.

The Darphane-i Âmire complex thus offers international visitors to Istanbul an opportunity to discover the Ottoman Empire's artistic heritage, everyday life, military history and technological development within a single historic site.