Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace was our first stop on the bus tour this morning, it was home to some of the sultans from the past.
The regal buildings alone span over 8000m/2, these guys new how to live and they did live well. It was a fortress in its day looking over the ocean and 5000 people lived and worked on site to maintain the palace and look after the sultan and his 300 strong heirium.

Black male staff were bought in from Africa and had their bits cut off.. Ouch...so they could look after the heirium without "looking after the heirium" if you get my drift...

The building were just so opulent in structure and design, all in marble and hand painted tiles, so cool in such a hot climate. The ceilings were so different to Italian painted ceiling these were more in geometric pattern to enhance the tiled walls. All the colours were so rich in blues and greens.

Got to see some clothing from 700 BC just amazing that something so old is still around also saw Moses walking stick yep yep I know their is a special word for it....

There were 3 chambers 15m square with voluted ceiling, in these were treasures from AMAZING to OMGOSH.... In the first two chambers little trinkets, a painted glass bowl here a dagger there just the usual stuff that you have laying around the palace but all with some jewel encrusting, Niiiiice!!!

Chamber three was the OMGOSH real serious stuff, the jewelled treasures ooo la la.
The movie famous Gold and Jewelled Dagger with its stunning Jewelled Case.
A set of two table candelabras all in gold and tastefully cover with diamonds, rubies and emeralds.
So let me try to paint a picture as were weren't allowed to take pictures in the chambers. Start with a 24 caret gold stem 1500mm tall and 250mm dia reaching up to several cups for the candles to sit in, then let's drop some jewels on them....
Should we only make one good side ... "Let's not"  the sultan would have said "I've got enough jewel for them to be covered all round".
Twining and dripping down the full height are dozen's of hearts the size of saucers bordered and set with 5 caret diamonds "subtle" and then fill the centre with rubies and emeralds, leaving a tasteful amount of gold showing between the hearts ....
We don't want to be to over the top!!!

The sultans must have some serious jewels when the displayed jewel boxes are covered with ruby and emeralds the size of grapes. Then we spotted them.... The BIG stones and lots of them, I've seen the Crown Jewels in London ... "babies" ....

The largest is 86 carets and brilliant cut and this sucker did just throw it's glitter right across the chamber. I was like a moth to a spot light, stand aside Elton and Liz Taylor your blocking my view......
Again I will try to paint a picture in your minds. With my thumb and forth finger I almost close them at the tips leave about 10mm and as you know I've got big hands, the hole that I make well this diamond would just fit in. But why leave it at that so let's surround it with 49, 3 Caret diamonds .... STUNNING.
Just one of the many many treasures.

Now for all you book readers and movie buffs this was that said diamond and dagger, so now I need to go home and read a book and watch the movie so your homework is to help me out with the tittles that I need to look out for.
By from Istanbul.