Topkapı Palace Museum

Among the gems of the historic peninsula, the Topkapı Palace looms over the point where the Golden Horn and Marmara Sea meet. The palace was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for more than four centuries, and its extensive rooms, chamber houses and fascinating objects, including the 86-carat Spoonmaker’s Diamond, make the museum a must-see. In addition to its extensive and illustrious permanent collections of weaponry, precious jewels and religious artifacts, it is a also home to a rotating cast of temporary exhibitions.