There are sounds that help remind us every day that we’re in Istanbul – the deep notes of the ships as they pass through the Bosporus, the call to prayer from the mosques at various times starting before dawn, the cries of wheeling gulls. Recently added to that has been the crack of teargas guns, the wail of police sirens and the chants of protestors. Today I went to the Topkapi Palace – a much more peaceful place indeed.

The palace was started by Sultan Mehmed II in 1453 and is very human in scale with only two floors and lots of open space. This particular sultan also started another fine Ottoman tradition – fraticide. To stop two of his sons fighting over who gets the palace when Dad dies, he had the younger one killed. The idea took hold, and for nearly 200 years whenever a Sultan died, all of the Crown Prince’s brothers and half brothers were strangled and buried with their father. When you have 4 wives and 200 concubines strangling all the younger lads would have been a good night’s worth of work for the Head Groundsman – he also doubled as chief assassin. The leadership team at Fairholme should stay right away from Peter Sutton when Linda retires.

I wonder if the brothers ever cottoned on to the fact that they were the only kids at Topkapi High School with lots and lots of aunties but no uncles? Later this practice was modified slightly to keep a couple alive in prison at the palace just in case the new Sultan produced no male heirs. Some of these royal prisoners eventually got to take over the throne but had been driven quite mad by the wait – understandably. Imagine spending the whole first part of your life hoping your dad stays well, then the next bit hoping your brother doesn’t.

The Ottomans also used their massive wealth to collect a huge portfolio of religious relics – the Prophet’s coat, footprint, parts of his beard, some of his hand writing. They have King David’s sword and a staff that is said to belong to Moses. They have various parts of Christian Saints/ Muslim Prophets, John The Baptist’s wrist bones for example. There is enough jewellery to excite an entire harem of course, and a library that’s not too shoddy. Today they had a Mufti reading from a 16th Century Koran, with an English and Turkish translation shown on a screen as he recited the words. I do think Celia and Margie’s people would be able to find an exciting body part or two in the relics room.

To finish off my great day exploring Istanbul and Linda’s day wrestling with her concluding chapter, we dined at a local restaurant.  Grilled seabass and fresh salad, kofta and veges, dessert and water – about $20 each.  Walking home we were accompanied by  the deep notes of the ships as they pass through the Bosporus, the call to prayer from the mosques across the city, the cries of wheeling gulls. No chanting protestors, no police sirens, and definitely no teargas. Even a 21st Century Ottoman Prince would think that’s a pretty flash way to finish the day. Though I’m not so sure about his younger brothers.