The palace complex is located on the Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu), a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn, where the Bosphorus Strait meets the Marmara Sea. The terrain is hilly and the palace itself is located at one of the highest points close to the sea. During Greek and Byzantine times, the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Byzantion stood here. After Sultan Mehmed II’s conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the Great Palace of Constantinople was largely in ruins. The Ottoman court was initially set up in the Old Palace (Eski Saray), today the site of Istanbul University in Beyazit Square. Mehmed II ordered that construction of Topkapı Palace begin in 1459.
The Baghdad Pavilion or Kiosk is situated on the right side of the terrace with a fountain and was built to commemorate the Baghdad Campaign of Murad IV after 1638. It closely resembles the Yerevan Kiosk and the three doors to the porch are located between the sofas.
