Topkapi Palace and the Famous Pudding Shop for Dinner

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Topkapi Palace was just a short distance from the Hostel it had been the residence of Sultans and commands a high spot over looking the Marmarus and Bosphorus seas. It has a high fortified wall and the grounds have many magnificant buildings. The gate entrance was manned by armed Turkish soldiers.

Many of the buildings are still standing and in good condition, some have been turned into museums to display the Sultan's clothing, another held the Treasury in which the jewellery of the Sultans was on display. Many of the buildings did not allow photography, probably for conservation reasons as some of the clothes on display were hundreds of years old, so not too many pictures in the section. We spent 3 or 4 hours within the Palace grounds, it was very warm and lots of tourists meant a bit of queuing. That evening we went back to Sultanahmet for a meal at the famous Pudding Shop, this was once the haunt off hippies and other overland travellers to India, a very nice meal for both of us cost 34 Lira (NZ $23.00)

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