On the 29th we visited the Topkapi Palace.  The guide book did not exaggerate when it said: “It is not simply a spectacular palace but an entire universe onto itself.”  It is a treasure house of Islamic art.  It was the power hub of the Ottoman Empire and home to more than 20 sultans.  It has incredible tapestries, clothes that LOOK like tapestries, jewels, jeweled swords and cups and belts  and JEWELED EVERYTHING, A person could spend days in there and not see everything.  Alas we only had one day but we did bring home two beautiful coffee table books to enjoy.  One is simply titled, “Harem.”  The harem was a world onto itself that the sultan rarely visited that was ruled by its own hierarchy.  The Topkapi, another place that we will revisit….