Largest palace harem
Who
Topkapı Palace
Where
Türkiye (Istanbul)
When
1459
The Imperial Harem wing at the Topkapı Palace of the Ottoman Empire (1299–1923) in what is now Istanbul, Turkey, was constructed in various stages from the 1459 onwards. With 400 rooms spread over several buildings, many designed by the Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, it is the world's largest harem – the enclosed quarters in a polygamous household that are reserved for women and forbidden to men. Often called "the golden cage", the Imperial Harem accommodated the sultan's mother ("Valide Sultana"), concubines, wives, relatives and children, along with eunuchs, consorts and other court favourites.