Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey served as the home for Ottoman sultans from the 15th century until the mid-19th century. It was built in the 1450s on the orders of Mehmed II after he conquered Constantinople, on the site of a former olive grove overlooking the Bosphorus. Over time, it grew to include a complex of buildings within a walled compound, including state rooms, kitchens, treasuries and barracks. Topkapi Palace gives visitors a glimpse into the lavish court of the Ottoman Empire during its height and remained the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire until the 19th century.