Tekfur Sarayi

The Byzantine palaces that once crowded Sultanahmet Square are all gone, so is the great Palace of Blachernae, which was also in this neighbourhood. Only the Tekfur Sarayı remains. Though the building is only a shell these days, it is remarkably preserved considering its great age.

Built in the late 13th or early 14th century and located close to the end of Theodosius' wall, it was a large three-storeyed palace that may have been an annex of the Palace of Blachernae. Later uses were not so regal: after the Conquest it functioned in turn as a menagerie for exotic wild animals, a brothel and a poorhouse for destitute Jews. To see it, wander into the sportsground next door. The site itself is fenced.