Istanbul is a huge city, but we are concentrating on the historic highlights on the European side.  Today we set out for Topkapi Palace, just across the square from yesterday’s attractions, where Ottoman sultans continually expanded and refined the royal palace for many generations between 1453 and 1839.  It was another raw weather day, and fortunately much (but not all) of the Palace is indoors.  However, Ottoman-style palaces were designed around several open courtyards with various buildings surrounding them, so a significant part of the visit was spent outdoors, for example in a long line waiting to get into the Treasury section that held the royal jewels (like the Topkapi Dagger which was stunning and by itself made the wait in the rain worthwhile), other governments' gifts to the sultans, and various spoils of war.  The most interesting historical fact related to the Dagger which was intended as a gift to the Shah of Persia, but it is a long way to Iran and, just before the emissaries arrived and it was presented, the shah was assassinated and the emissaries cleverly pocketed it, said never mind, and returned it home.  Other rooms in the Treasury display various sultans’ thrones and richly woven ceremonial robes.

Other interesting parts of the palace complex were several beautifully tiled cottages (called kiosks) set around the immense Fourth Courtyard, the Circumcision Room, and of course the Harem.  Contrary to popular myth, a harem was not just the living quarters of concubines and wives; the word means “private place” and it was the residence of the sultan and his entire family.  Of course, he had many wives (several hundred for some sultans) and numerous resulting offspring so needless to say this Harem was pretty large.  The apartments of the favorite wife and mother of the sultan were especially nice.   We spent almost four hours in Topkapi, and still did not see every square foot.  It was a fascinating place.

Afterwards, we avoided any more rug scouts and returned to our hotel, and celebrated Phyllis’ birthday with a glass of wine in the lounge overlooking a wet and windy street scene below.  Red wine was the weather-dictated choice.  Later we went in search of a particular restaurant that Lonely Planet recommended, only to find it either no longer existed, its address was wrong in the book, or we were inept at following directions.  Whatever, we found a substitute hole in the wall that, although no English was spoken, provided a fine birthday kebap dinner for Phyllis.