Topkapi Palace opens five museums on 25 October

Topkapi Palace in Istanbul reopened part of its first courtyard to visitors on 25 October 2026, when five museums opened in the restored Darphane-i Amire complex. The former Ottoman mint now adds new collections to one of Turkey's most important museum sites.

Five museums open in the restored mint complex

The opening followed a seven-year restoration of the historic Darphane-i Amire, which stands in the first courtyard. The complex contains museums devoted to porcelain, calligraphy, weapons, maps, and industrial and minting equipment.

According to a report on the museum opening, the displays bring 10,500 objects from the palace collections into 46 halls across a 17,000-square-metre complex. More than 2,000 calligraphy works that had previously been kept in storage are being shown for the first time in 12 halls.

The Presidency of National Palaces is responsible for the restored site. The reopening therefore changes what visitors can see inside the palace itself, rather than adding a separate attraction elsewhere in Istanbul.

Darphane-i Amire adds five museums to the first courtyard

The mint complex has been given a museum function while retaining its place within the palace's historic layout. Porcelain, Islamic calligraphy, arms, maps and industrial history now appear as separate subjects within the former production centre.

The National Palaces palace information places Topkapi Palace on the historic peninsula at the southern mouth of the Bosphorus. Its grounds lie between the Bosphorus, the Marmara Sea and the Golden Horn, giving the new museums a direct connection with the wider palace landscape.

Topkapi Palace grew from an Ottoman seat of government

Sultan Mehmed II began building the palace between 1460 and 1478 after the conquest of Istanbul. Later sultans added buildings and courtyards, and the complex remained the main residence and centre of government until the nineteenth century.

The palace became a museum on 3 April 1924. Its organisation still reflects several historic functions, including the Outer Palace, the State Council, the Palace School and the Harem. The five new museums now occupy the first courtyard, where the mint was among the service buildings.

The wider site forms part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Areas of Istanbul. That setting links the reopening to a palace complex that was repeatedly extended over centuries and remains part of the historic peninsula's protected cultural landscape.

Visiting Topkapi Palace: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The five new museums opened to visitors on 25 October 2026 in Darphane-i Amire, in Topkapi Palace's first courtyard.
• The reopening gives visitors access to porcelain, calligraphy, weapons, maps, and industrial and minting collections within the palace complex.
• The palace is at Cankurtaran Mahallesi, Bab-i Humayun Road, in Fatih, Istanbul, on the historic peninsula between the Bosphorus, Marmara Sea and Golden Horn.
• The official language is Turkish and the national currency is the Turkish lira.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Topkapi Palace

When did the five museums open at Topkapi Palace?

The five museums opened to visitors on 25 October 2026 in the restored Darphane-i Amire complex in the first courtyard.

What can visitors see in the new museums?

The collections cover porcelain, calligraphy, weapons, maps, and industrial and minting equipment, including 10,500 objects from the palace collections.

Where is Topkapi Palace and how do you get there?

Topkapi Palace is in Cankurtaran in Istanbul's historic peninsula, between the Bosphorus, Marmara Sea and Golden Horn.