When we set out to talk about lands where grand civilizations have evolved, and the centers of conduct on these lands, in one way or another we need to define the borders of our subject skillfully. If the subject is the cradle of great civilizations; Anatolia, and the center of conduct; Istanbul then, inescapably, there comes the necessity to deal with all the cultural aspects flowing between Asia and Europe. Istanbul, as the capital of many important governments and great empires, encompasses the natural and cultural outcomes of such treasuries and appears as a special identity at a point where grand cultures meet. One of the most important pivotal points in this city of world culture is the Topkapı Palace and its environs. The Topkapı Palace, where the Ottoman government ruled and the rulers of the empire lived, has a meaningful importance for the world with its interesting works that survive to this day. While acting as a major symbol of Istanbul, after Mehmet the Conqueror's reign, Topkapı Palace became renowned not only for all the works inside and the new accomplishments it has brought to the history of architecture, but also for its inheritance which reflects an empire's system of government with all the stages it has gone through in its extended life span. For this reason the Topkapı Palace has been the subject of various publications with different forms and contents, all trying to illuminate a different aspect left in the dark. In such a lively situation, the importance of giving a wholesome information to reflect the true nature of Topkapı Palace becomes clear. This entails the need to explain the importance of the palace within the concept of the Ottoman palace, the stages it has gone through, the effects of governmental forms on architecture, and the Palace's newly acquired current function as a museum. The "glossary" win serve to illuminate the interesting details for those who wish to make an in-depth research about this issue.

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