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History
About 30 sultans ruled from the Topkapı Palace for nearly four centuries during the Ottoman Empire’s 600-year reign, beginning with Mehmed II. He ordered the construction of the palace in the late 1450s, several years after conquering Constantinople (Istanbul), the capital of the Byzantine Empire, in 1453. Medmed took up residence in 1478, and after his death three years later, successive sultans renovated and expanded the palace frequently, resulting in the palace’s medley of changing Islamic, Ottoman, and European architecture styles and decoration. The immense Topkapı Palace housed 1,000–4,000 inhabitants, including up to 300 in the harem.
Layout
Mehmed’s original layout, which consisted of four consecutive courtyards surrounded by high walls, remains. Each courtyard served different purposes and was separated by a gate that incrementally restricted entry, culminating in the most-private third and fourth courtyards. The palace’s surviving buildings are gener
PHOTO: BENGT NYMAN/CC BY-SA 4.0/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The 75th birthday celebrations for King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden have been announced. He will celebrate his 75th birthday on Friday, 30 April.
The King will mark his birthday alongside Queen Silvia at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. There will be a small reception in the morning for the Prime Minister, Speaker of the Riksdag, the Dean of the County Governors, the Chairman of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, and Marshal of the Realm.
At noon, the Swedish Armed Forces will fire the traditional salutes from several forts across the country. The King will also receive some representatives from the Armed Forces at the Royal Palace in a very small reception.