Topkapı Museum
754 reviews
October 29, 2024
Beautiful views from palace, the harem is interesting to see, but is hard to find ways, it was even impossible to find a toilet, audio guide is not helpful. Prices for foreigners are high.
August 30, 2023
It's gorgeous! But I don't recomend audio-guide - not so much information, some systems doesn't have headset.
(if you want to get it - you must have documents (one document for one guide!)
3
1
January 13
Impressive
3
November 23, 2024
Everyone should see
3
September 19, 2023
Really interesting and beautiful place!
3
October 14, 2023
The most beautiful place in Istanbul, very unique palace, can’t even compare it to any other.
3
October 9, 2023
Must place to visit
3
August 10, 2023
Too expensive
4
3
January 2
Positive:
1) a very beautiful place. There is a landscaped park, architecture, and a view of the Bosphorus.
2) Interesting and meaningful content of museums. Including absolutely unique relics.
3) An audio guide in many languages, including Russian, is included in the ticket price.
Minuses:
1) Queue to enter. (Maybe not so big on normal days, but I was on holidays)
2) The entrance fee is very high.
3) Very high prices at the coffee stall on the premises.
4) Some of the audio guide's positions were unavailable in Russian.
Despite the disadvantages, I definitely recommend this museum.
You need to set aside almost a whole day for a visit. There are a lot of interesting things.
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6
1
April 26
The most beautiful museum complex! A palace, a treasury, a harem, an architectural museum and much more. To enter, we bought the Muzeum Pass Istanbul museum card, which in early March 2025 cost 105 euros for foreign tourists and included admission to several museums. We went around everything, so the purchase paid off. To avoid the queue in Topkapi itself, we bought a card on Istiklal Street in the monastery of the dervishes. We started walking around Topkapi at 10 a.m. It took us about 5 hours to explore everything, so it's better to plan a visit for the first half of the day. A lot of impressions, and the thought of seeing and hearing these walls takes your breath away completely! Without a doubt, this is one of the best museums in the world.
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3
February 25
This is the central attraction of the city, but the price of 2000 lire seems to be too high.
The ticket includes a visit:
- Topkapi Palace itself, which has several exhibitions (Muslim shrines, jewelry, weapons, clothes);
- harem (quite interesting considering the habitat and especially for fans of TV series);
- St. Peter's Cathedral Irina (unfortunately, there are only bare walls inside and there is almost no restoration).
Russian Russian audio guide is frankly bad - there are a lot of recordings not in Russian, but in Polish or Czech. It's easier to choose English.
In terms of time, it actually takes 6 hours, taking into account the queues for tickets and at the entrance (in winter they were about 1 hour).
It is worth a visit as the main attraction.
If possible, it makes sense to take a guide - it costs at least twice as much, but it will be much more interesting. Plus, there will be more time for exhibits, so you don't have to waste time waiting in line for tickets.
By the way, if you are looking for a city guide, ask if he has a license for the palace. It turned out that not everyone has it.
The territory of the palace is large, so it's better to start walking around from the right side and move like that to the very last courtyard.
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2
May 15
Long queues, thanks to our guide Aisha, who helped us pass faster. Very beautiful, well-maintained territory, interesting architecture and location of the premises. There are many beautiful elements preserved since the time of the sultans.
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2
April 18
I was with a friend in early April 2025. There aren't that many people, you can walk everywhere and see everything calmly. It's better to go in the morning, since the territory is large and you can't cross it) Many locations were closed for reconstruction, apparently they did not move away after the earthquake. It was closed by grief, they were not allowed to see the rooms of zhong and concubines, only common areas such as the hammam and the golden path, etc. There is no access to the part where the eunuchs lived, which is also sad. Not all rooms of the Sultan's chambers were open. But even without that, I spent more than 6 hours walking and watching. An audio guide is good, of course, but I recommend finding a Russian-speaking guide, so it will be more interesting. By the way, the entrance is the same for everyone - 2000 liras, which was more profitable than in any other currency. You can pay by card, but cash is better)
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2
1
March 26
A place that everyone should visit!
The ticket price of 2000 lire, of course, is very biting, but it's worth it)
By the way, it's only 350 lire for locals. I think it's unfair and unkind to tourists.🥲
It is better to come here in the morning or before lunch, as it takes a lot of walking and a lot of time. About 4-5 hours to get around everything. But if you arrive after lunch, I strongly recommend that you settle in the harem first, and then everything else, because the harem closes before the entire complex (which is very disappointing).
Be sure to bring water and a snack!)
The audio guide is included in the price (you can take it by leaving your passport as a deposit), it is available in many languages, but to be honest it is mediocre. There seems to be very little information and there is something that is not about anything at all.…
The palace is, of course, very beautiful! You can watch forever ... the view of the Bosphorus from the palace is simply incredible
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3
March 20
It is a very beautiful and large palace. It has three courtyards, on the sides of the courtyards there are different exhibition pavilions and rooms with different purposes, a kitchen, a hammam, prayer rooms, etc. There is a mansion with living quarters in the far courtyard. The entrance to the museum costs 2000 rubles per person + a free audio guide. However, some locations in the guide are not in Russian, but in Hungarian, like. I paid with the Rosselkhoznadzor's unoin pay card. There is also a harem on the territory of the palace, with a separate ticket for 750 lire.
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1
October 24, 2024
A very beautiful, interesting place, definitely worth a visit. The territory is large, you can walk for a long time, including take a snack and be sure to have water. By the way, St. Irene's Cathedral is located on the territory of the complex and its visit is included in the price. A stunning place, makes a strong impression, a sense of eternity, a piece of ancient Rome, especially after the splendor and wealth of the palace.
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6
2
January 6
The palace complex is very large, and it took 4 hours to get around it. A ticket costs 2,000 Turkish lira for one adult (6600₽), which is very expensive. The ticket includes a tour of the entire complex with a harem + St. Irene's Church. They didn't pay separately, just the whole thing. When buying a ticket, the audio guide is free in Russian, but you must leave your passport as a deposit. The numbers with the object's number are entered into the audio guide and you can listen to it. Unfortunately, not all objects have audio recordings. The rooms where they used to live are now empty, or converted into museum rooms with shelves and exhibits under glass. Therefore, walk through empty halls, you will see bare walls, floors, and sometimes sofas. Nevertheless, it is an interesting and beautiful place. There is a free toilet on the territory of the palace. The queues at the entrance and at the ticket offices were small, they stood for up to 5 minutes (Monday). The ticket offices are open until 17:00, you can visit the kit until 18
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4
May 15
Beautiful views from the terraces to the Bosphorus, fans of Turkish TV series will love it.There is a large flow of tourists, some exhibits are difficult to examine in detail and the distances between the stained glass windows are small.The parks are beautiful, with a beautiful view of the Galata Tower.
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1
May 8
I visited the palace in April 2025 and was extremely impressed. Beautiful, incredibly well-maintained territory, beautiful pines, century-old trees that still remember the sultans. The palace is unlike any other, its beauty and originality are amazing. The harem...It's like going to a movie, there are many rooms, many different courtyards and rooms, hamams, we didn't have time to go around the whole place in one tour. There is an exhibition hall with Islamic religious relics, a hall with clothes from the time of the sultan, a hall with weapons, which had a huge queue "very cute green parrots " live in the park.
I recommend you to visit, there are a lot of impressions.
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3
October 14, 2024
It's a wonderful place, buy tickets online, the queue can be long. Conceptually, it is 4 courtyards with a bunch of buildings and between them gardens, fountains, trees. It is very pleasant to walk from building to building, beautiful views of the city. Put in at least 3 hours, or even more. Despite the high price, it's worth it, because you will spend a lot of time there (unlike, for example, St. Sophia, where you will spend a maximum of 40 minutes, and the cost is the same). The only drawback is weak and absent lighting in many halls, of course the exhibits are illuminated, but in some visits it is just dark- if it is sunny and the day is not critical, but in the afternoon I even had to light myself with a flashlight in some places
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8
2
April 9
Definitely worth a visit if you are interested in the era of the Sultans! The cost of an all-inclusive package ticket is 50 euros, paid in lira, expensive, yes, but not a pity, honestly! Go in the morning, while there are still not a lot of people and there will be more time to look at everything and take pictures from the bottom of your heart. There are a hundred thousand photos on your phone, a lot of impressions! There is an audio guide, it is included in the price, but we took a guide for an additional fee.I highly recommend paying a fee if possible.
We had a great day! I recommend it!
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2
March 30
Topkapi Palace is the main attraction of Istanbul, the former main residence of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire, starting with the fall of Constantinople in 1945 until the middle of the 19th century, when the residence of the sultans was moved to Dolmabahce Palace. The history of Topkapi is inextricably linked with the names of such Ottoman rulers as Mehmed Fatih, Selim Yavuz, Suleiman Qanuni, Selim II, Murad III, Murad IV, Ahmed I, Mahmud II and others. The Sultan's harem is associated with the names Hurrem Sultan, Nurbanu Sultan, Safie Sultan, Kesem Sultan. The main gate of the palace is well recognizable from the TV series "Magnificent Century". The former palace complex of the Ottoman sultans is located in the form of separate pavilions, concentrated in a picturesque location on the shores of the Marmara Sea. The windows of the sultans' chambers, in the last courtyard, face the sea. The Topkapi Museum houses rich collections from the Ottoman era: sultan's thrones, personal clothing of sultans, weapons, jewelry, tableware, watches, and more. Separately, it is worth noting the extensive collection of calligraphy with tugras (special signatures) of all the sultans and a separate pavilion with a collection of Islamic shrines. It is especially worth highlighting the library in which the famous map of the Turkish Admiral Piri Reis is kept. The cost of an adult entrance ticket to the museum is quite high - 1400 Turkish lira, about 40 euros. Children under 7 years old are free of charge. If you visit on your own, you need to schedule a whole day for the visit. It is convenient to get to the museum by city tram, stop "Sultan Akhmet".
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3
February 28
The palace certainly surprises! Every inch of its territory is steeped in history, and you can feel it! It's great that a lot of interior items, household items, and clothes have been preserved! I looked at everything with pleasure! The only negative is the price! Very expensive....!)
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1
November 11, 2024
Definitely worth a visit to this complex, although the prices, of course, bite. You can find an excursion ticket, it will be cheaper, but it will still cost a decent amount, at least 54 euros. Inside, the largest and most interesting part is the harem, but there are also beautiful pavilions, including furnished ones. Excellent patterned tiles and mosaics, partially preserved furniture and household items, interesting and unusual plumbing. Additional collections also deserve attention. There are warning signs in places where Islamic religious precepts must be observed, and headscarves are also given free of charge. It's almost impossible to get around everything thoughtfully during the day, only if you run, but the photos will turn out cool.
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5
November 3, 2024
A very majestic palace of the sultans with an attached harem. It is important to take into account that a separate day should be allocated for visiting, since the territory is very large with many buildings and interesting expositions. We were in the area for about 6 hours. There is no restaurant or cafe on site. Tickets can be purchased on the territory of the palace at the ticket office, which is located to the left of the main entrance.
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4
1
January 21
There are a lot of exhibits, beautiful places, and we learned a lot about history, even though we watched the famous TV series. It was very interesting to walk around the places where the main characters were and walk along that golden path ourselves.
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April 20
It's interesting to immerse yourself in history. There is an audio guide. But it would be better to go on a guided tour. The ticket for foreigners is quite expensive. But I had a dream to get there, so the price didn't stop me.
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January 28
Topkapi Palace was built in the XV century, during the time of Sultan Mehmed II, when the Byzantine Empire fell from the Ottoman Turks and it was necessary to build something worthy of the new sultan. This palace impresses with its beauty, magnificent oriental architecture, gardens and sea views. It gained its prosperity during the reign of Sultan Suleiman, who worked here, met ambassadors and guests, and spent his free time with his wives, children, and concubines in this palace. Hurrem Sultan was the only woman in the East who went from a concubine to the legitimate wife of Sultan Suleiman. This story can be seen in the movie Magnificent Century.
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3
January 6
a truly magical place. from the very first steps, you realize that you have found yourself in a royal place. an abundance of stones, colors, fountains, flowers... an unforgettable experience. and the balconies of the palace offer stunning views of the water from above.
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3
January 6
Starting from January 1, 2025, the ticket price has increased to 2,000 lira per person (with a visit to the harem included in the price). The money is unrealistic, considering that the price for Turks is 350 lira. for this money, you get free movement throughout the territory, but keep in mind that you will not see anything special, 80% of the rooms are closed and inaccessible. There are 5-6 beautiful halls, the rest are ruins where it was once beautiful. Many halls have been turned into museums, where dishes, clothes and weapons are simply beautifully hidden behind glass. It's not very convenient for self–study, of course, it's better to take a guide - you won't find detailed descriptions in any languages anywhere. The audio guide is modest, it will tell you only a little about certain exhibits.
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5
May 13
It's a wonderful place that I definitely recommend visiting. The price is not cheap, but it is worth it. Of course, there are long queues in spring and summer, so be sure to take your passports, as they leave them as collateral or ask for money as collateral. I advise you to come in the morning, there is a very large area where you can walk all day.
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December 28, 2024
We got a lot of emotions when visiting Topkapi Palace. We took a guided tour and immersed ourselves in the atmosphere of the palace. We were impressed by the equipment of the palace and the thoughtfulness of each of the four courtyards.
The decoration and equipment of the palace is amazing, running water with hot and cold water, a hammam with baths.
The palace is filled with history, tragedies and intrigues.
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3
March 8
Such splendor. Everything is in marble, the view of the Bosphorus is mesmerizing. Oriental luxury is everywhere
The mosaics are beautiful, the gardens are luxurious. I definitely recommend you to visit
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November 11, 2024
A historical place, once the active palace of the Sultans. It is a complex of several structures with its own territory and observation deck. Tickets were expensive in October 2024 (1750 per adult foreign guest).
There are several expositions in the museums of the Topkapi Palace: the museum of clothes, paintings, weapons, jewelry, state gifts, as well as iconic attractions.
I recommend definitely getting to the observation deck, the views are probably the best in Istanbul on the strait
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5
February 16
Everything is very decent, as much as possible in the historical part of the city. The most important thing is the convenient location, all cultural monuments are within walking distance.
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March 24
Topkapi Palace.
On the second day after arrival, WE, as true tourists and connoisseurs of important places, rushed there at 10 a.m.,
BUT
after standing in line,
it's like at the airport (40 minutes exactly)
and there are 6-8 ticket offices there and it's not the season,
they explained to us in broken English, there are no euros, there are no lira.
(we thought)
1700 *3, well, of course we didn't have so many changed and left with nothing(
Having decided that it was not our day, we went according to the plan previously worked out)
And so:
Drum roll 🥁 -
4 days later, in ..... our wedding anniversary happened)
The price is the same, but we were already prepared.
The queue is no smaller, we have spread out, some of us are in line at Hagia Sophia (for tickets), I am in line at the palace (for tickets) (life hack ✌️ save time)
however, it is difficult to find budget tourists later🤣 (when one tourist has WhatsApp only connected, and the other has movement cards)))))
Not a review,
an essay with elements of presentation on a straight topic)🤭
By the way,
a Russian-speaking guide cost 100 euros,
but we watched the movie "the magnificent century" and we all know what and where)))
They wrote about 50 € (1,700 lire),
BUT
It turned out that this ticket has an entrance to Gorham and Irina. (keep in mind) in grief, we almost bought tickets separately (there's a ticket office)
and pure chance led us to scan the ticket that we entered and oops, the ticket worked…
Well, cool..
We walked through these rooms in single file, jostling like in the subway during rush hour...
and in the company of a teenager,
a Russian and apparently an immortal 🤣 (our son) is twice as fun,
foreigners were jealous of his adventurism.
To go where it is impossible, purely for a photo and somehow brighten up your stay there, for the sake of mom and apparently the foreign audience,
who sometimes applauded this, unknown to us, Duncan Mclaught, (there is such a film about the immortal, the transcript is for those who are very young, the rest will understand)
The park itself is huge,
We set aside only three hours for it, since it was 1 day and we had to go home (
We had to cover everything as much as possible,
but this time is not enough for this place.
It is necessary right to the opening and before the closing. There are many museums and very interesting ones. The types are bombastic, subject to the weather.
We definitely had some water with
us, we didn't see any cafes on the territory, only in front of the ticket counters at the entrance.
Oh, you could also buy an audio guide, I can't remember the money anymore,
they didn't take it, because the experience wasn't very good on other trips.
And of course, to appreciate this place not only as a beautiful and "historical" place,
you need to get acquainted with its history.
Don't be lazy, after reading the story, this place will open up for you differently.:,
We lived here, and this is how we took a bath, and here we ate, and here we made important decisions, and here we walked, And here we executed,
and here we cooked....
There are many beautiful and free places in Istanbul, but if you have the financial opportunity, then visit this place.
Our motto is:
We will definitely come back here again, but the world is too big for one life. 
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3
May 26
Without a doubt, the place is a must-visit. Well, really, come to Istanbul and not walk around Topkapi? Ticket prices are very reasonable, and an audio guide will help make the walk more informative.
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June 30, 2024
A place with a history, interesting. Many M.B. are familiar from Turkish sermals. In Sultanahmet district near St. Sophia. But the organization is very lame. The Internet on the territory is poorly caught (perhaps because of the crowds of people), there is free wi-fi, but these are tears. It is better to take the audio guide provided by the museum, it is connected to another network and mostly catches, only without headphones this phone is an audio guide, it is inconvenient, and there is very little information. Russian Russian was replaced by some kind of strangely intelligible speech in a language close to, but not Russian, in the part of the exposition. Prices for foreigners are 6 (six, Carl) times higher than for locals, and the locals check the ID for each ticket, they will not be able to slip through. It is better to read about the palace in advance and look cleanly here and not at the tourist peak.
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6
March 14
It's beautiful, informative, and interesting.
But with our ruble exchange rate, of course, the price is inadequate. Tickets for two to the castle and the harem with a guide 17000 rub.
For locals, if anything, the ticket is exactly 10 times cheaper.
Nearby is the beautiful Gulhane Park, where parrots live. It's free.))
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1
December 12, 2024
I've been dreaming of coming here for 12 years! Since I'm a fan of the series (it's clear which one)))) I was sooo interested! I will not retell the historical facts - those who are interested will see for themselves. I will say about the benefits: the first and most important thing is that there is a public toilet on the territory of the palace! I was in the museum for 4 hours, but in good weather you can go for the whole day. There are benches where you can relax and have a snack (you can take it with you or buy it, but the price, you know, will be for tourists ...) Russian Russian audio guide - they gave out a smartphone as a pledge of a passport, but he did not tell some rooms in Russian. You can download the application, everything is in Russian. Of the disadvantages, the ticket price is cosmic, in terms of rubles, the ticket came out over 5,500 (with a harem). There's nowhere to charge your phone!!! The harem is not completely open.
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March 31
It is worth visiting as a historical place once. I wouldn't go a second time.…It's expensive (2000 liras, at the time of the visit ~ 4500₽, the audio guide is mediocre - if you want an interesting story with exciting stories, pay for a guide. For the audio guide, you need to leave your passport or driver's license as a deposit. The territory is beautiful and well maintained
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4
December 7, 2024
It is not worth its price from the word at all. For foreign citizens, the entrance fee (plus the harem) is 1,700 lire, which is about 5,000 rubles. There are various exhibitions in the palace itself (dishes, clothes, calligraphy, weapons), not a very large collection. The most interesting thing is the harem, which can be completed in 30 minutes. Free audio guide - about nothing (several offers per room, not in every room). At the same time, there are crowds of people, it's noisy. It is better not to walk in the rain, because the expositions are in different blocks, between which it is not convenient to run in the rain.
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1
December 20, 2024
Definitely need to see. A big plus is that when you buy a ticket, they give you an audio guide. Not necessarily a tour guide, a group. I was walking alone, and the audio guide told me everything I needed.
The nuance is only the lira. The nearest exchanger is on Sultanahmet, which, in principle, is not far on foot.
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3
February 28
What I want to say is, of course, it's very beautiful, but tickets to the territory are VERY expensive for foreigners. Of course, I was there when the dollar was under 100, but 2000 lire per person ... an audio guide in different languages is attached to the ticket, but in some it worked, in others it didn't. If you are a fan of the magnificent century, then at the entrance you immediately need to go to the right to see the harem 😉 Topkapi territory is very beautiful, the museum is informative, I advise you to see everything)
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February 6
The magnificent palace complex is perfectly preserved. There are audio guides and guided tours. Definitely recommend a visit!!!! But it became very expensive(
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1
December 13, 2024
A pleasant place, rich historically.
You can walk for several hours and everything will be interesting.
The views are amazing and the photos are cool))
Be sure to visit this place
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3
January 28
It's a very atmospheric place. Especially if you like the TV series "Magnificent Century". It is better to take an excursion, it is also interesting without it, but not informative. We'll take a guide next time.
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3
May 12
An impressive place.So many places.
Park, fountains.
Be sure to take a guide.
Even if you don't know Turkish, you will still learn a lot of new things.
There is a viewing area .
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April 3
The place is wonderful and beautiful, but the ticket price is the most unpleasant thing. 6 thousand rubles per person. The "advantage" is that the museum provides an audio guide for free, which leaves much to be desired. First of all, in many places the recording starts in Turkish instead of Russian. Secondly, the guide is not very informative. Thirdly, in many places there are no numbers at all, allowing you to understand which entry to include.
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1
1
December 25, 2024
This place is a must-visit, definitely. Keep in mind that navigation is not very clear, go everywhere and get a ticket to all parts of the complex.
Very nice view of the city. You can also just sit in the park and enjoy the atmosphere.
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