Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
The official residence of the sultans for 400 years of their 600 year reign, the Topkapi (Cannon Gate) palace is a collection of courtyards and smaller buildings complete with a hospital, bakery and mint. Over the centuries, there have been major renovations to repair or build upon the palace due to earthquakes and fires. A museum since 1924, it is called the best example of an ensemble of palaces from Ottoman period by UNESCO.
[8/10] of beautiful castles/palaces

‘What colour would you like this time?’ asked the lovely people at HarperCollins.
‘Could it please be blue and gold?’ I said.
And look what they gave me.
It’s a little bit exciting.
The book’s due out in August.
The Chained Library of Zutphen
I took these pictures during a visit to the 16th-century chained library of Zutphen, in the east of the Netherlands. It is one of three such libraries still in existence in Europe. Nothing much has changed here for 550 years.
More info: http://www.librije-zutphen.nl/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=14&Itemid=111
(Source: erikkwakkel)
Executioner with strangulation rope, The Rålamb Costume Book, Constantinople, 1657