Following his capture of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman sultan Mehmed the Conqueror constructed a palace, Topkapi Sarayi, at the most commanding site in his new capital. Located atop the First Hill, the city's highest point and the acropolis of ancient Byzantium, the complex of buildings, pavilions, gardens and parks that comprised this majestic residence was reconstructed and augmented over time by Mehmed's successors. Besides the private quarters of the sultans, princes and women of the court, Topkapi also housed the Ottoman Empire's supreme executive and judicial council, the Divan, and other governmental offices. For more than four centuries, it was the seat of imperial power and symbolised the grandeur and might of the Ottoman dynasty. Today, Topkapi Sarayi is one of the world's preeminent museums, containing a rich collection of objects and art that once belonged to the imperial court. Written by a former director of the museum, Dr Filiz Cagman, Scala's new guide to Topkapi describes in detail the planning, architecture and history of this magnificent complex. Lavishly illustrated with newly commissioned photographs and historic miniatures, paintings and engravings, it also depicts the daily functions, complex ritual, and official pageantry that characterised the multifaceted social life of the palace and its inhabitants. Illustrated
