“There is one place I have always wanted to visit in Turkiye – The Topkapi Palace,” said Orak.
“Are we allowed into a palace? Do we get to meet the King?” wondered Felix.
“Turkiye doesn’t have a king anymore,” Orak said. “The palace was built in 1465 as a centre for the Ottoman Empire. But later, when the country became the Republic of Turkey, the Turkish President, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, converted the palace into a museum.
“Felix, you will love the treasures. They have a jewelled dagger called the Topkapi dagger. In 1747, the Sultan had this dagger made for Nadir Shah of Persia. However, Shah was assassinated before he could leave the Ottoman Empire and so, the Sultan retained it.”
The Palace is divided into three courts, and the Mysticals visited every room they could. The walls are adorned with beautiful paintings, and each court has something unique.
The second court fascinated them, and they took many pictures to remember this story. This court had the palace kitchens that contained one of the world’s largest collections of blue-and-white Chinese porcelain, valued by the sultans because it was supposed to change colour if the food or drink it contained was poisoned!
The third court had the jewels of the palace, including the Topkapi dagger. The Mysticals made their way to all three courts walking through many hallways with stories to tell.