Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, Turkey

<p>Nestled within the historic walls of Istanbul and overlooking the blue waters of the Bosphorus strait lies Topkapi Palace, once the sprawling administrative center of the vast Ottoman Empire. Constructed in the 15th century, the lavish stone palace complexes housed up to 4000 people in its heyday and paid homage to the power and prominence of the imperial household.</p> <p>Visitors to Topkapi today wander grand courtyards lined with green gardens, fountains, and examples of Islamic architecture from domed pavilions to slender minarets reaching skyward. Intricate tilework and carved wooden features showcase exquisite Ottoman design.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/pen-tribe/topkapi-palace-museum-in-istanbul-turkey-557913ad608e"><strong>Read More</strong></a></p>