Topkapi Palace - First Courtyard
Imperial Gate
The Imperial Gate of the Topkapi Palace in Turkish is called Bab- i Humayun. This is the outer most gate in the Topkapi Palace, beside the Sultan Ahmed III Fountain. This massive gate opens into the First Courtyard. The Gate was built in 1478 during the Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror) era, it is now covered in 19th-century marble.
There is an inscription in Arabic by Ali ibn as-Sufi, which reads as follows: “By the grace and assent of God and with the aim of establishing peace and tranquility. This auspicious citadel was built and erected in the blessed month of Ramadan in the year 883 [November-December 1478] at the command of the son of Sultan Murad, son of Sultan Mehmed Khan, the sultan of the lands and the emperor of the seas, the shadow of God extending over men and djinn, the deputy of God in the East and in the West, the champion of the water and the land, the conqueror of Constantinople and father of that conquest Sultan Mehmed, may God make his reign eternal and exalt his abode above that of the highest stars in the firmament.”
First Courtyard
This court was also known as the Court of the Janissaries or the Parade Court due to the fact that the Janissaries used to line up here. In the past, this gate was used for imperial processions during the Byzantine and Ottoman era.
The First Courtyard is the largest as compared to the other two. The First Courtyard is reached through the Imperial Gate. This courtyard, where various ceremonies and processions were held, was the only part of the palace open to the public. At the far end of the courtyard stand the Gate of Salutation. This is where tourists come to queue up for the tickets.
Gate of Salutation
The Gate of Salutation is also called Bab el-Salam and this middle gate opens to the Second Courtyard. Built during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II, the Gate of Salutation subsequently underwent numerous renovations in the 16th and 17th centuries. According to one inscription on the gate, the large iron door was made by İsa bin Mehmed in 1524 and an additional inscription states that the gate underwent restoration in 1758.
