The Topkapi Palace (Turkish: Topkapi  Sarayi) was the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans for some 400 years (1465 to 1856).

Initial construction began in 1459, on the orders of Sultan Mehmet II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. The Topkapi Palace soon became the administrative and cultural hub of the vast Ottoman Empire and a setting for state occasions. At its peak, it was home to as many as 4,000 people.

Topkapi Palace started to lose its importance in the 17th century, as the later Sultans preferred to spend more time in newer palaces along the Bosphorus.

By 1923 the Ottoman Empire had collapsed completely. In 1924 the newly constituted ‘Republic of Turkey’, transformed Topkapi into a museum of the imperial era.

The Throne Room is now known as the ‘Pavilion of the Sacred Trusts’ and is home to revered relics, such as the Prophet’s mantle. Numerous other artifacts used daily by the Prophet and his Companions, such as original letters of the Prophet, articles of clothing, swords, and shoes etc. are housed in the Topkapi Palace.

Yusuf Ali has translated verses 33:45-47 from surah Al-Ahzab as follows: 

“O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and Warner, - And as one who invites to Allah's (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light. Then give the Glad Tidings to the Believers, that they shall have from Allah a very great Bounty.”