Cribs: Swingin' Sultan Style

Even if your wife let you have a game room, she's not about to let you start a harem in the house. You can't blame her, but that doesn't mean you can't visit Topkapi Palace and see one of the most famous harems of the Ottoman Empire. I mean, what could be better than 400 years of Sultans playing "Pimp My Palace"! Apparently the Turks even made special pastries for this place.

Now that you've paid extra to see the harem and imagine life as the Sultan Snoop Dogg, it's time to get to the important stuff. Nearly 600 years ago, the Ottomans took over Constantinople (modern Istanbul), and conqueror Sultan Mehmed II wanted a new palace. He brought in the best craftsmen and completed the Topkapi Palace in 1465, and it remained the Ottoman seat of power until the 19th century. After the Ottoman Empire ended in 1921, the palace turned into a museum and became an UNESCO World Heritage Site in '85.

So, what is there to see besides the harem? Most people head to the Imperial Treasury for its sparkling collection of art, jewels and heirlooms. Treasury highlights include the Spoonmaker's Diamond, a 49-diamond artifact that one legend says was purchased at a bazaar from someone who thought it was worthless crystal. There's also the Topkapi Dagger with a gold and emerald hilt and diamond-covered sheath, and two giant candleholders with 6,666 cut diamonds each. In other words, if you plan to propose to your girlfriend on this trip, your diamond engagement ring is about to look a wee bit chintzy. And don't ask the Treasury guard if the sword and cloak belonged to Zorro; the original owner is a popular guy named Muhammad.

Executions, though not as popular as diamonds and harems, also seem to have been a hit with the Sultans. I say that because the decapitators actually got their own post-chop washbasin, The Fountain of the Executioner, in one of the courtyards. In that spirit, there's also a Circumcision Room, which oddly doubles as the Summer Pavilion. I'm guessing that's because it's easier to get males over to a "pavilion" than to a place that sounds like "chopping block."

Finally, there's the tallest palace structure, the Tower of Justice, that's visible from the sea below as a sign of the Sultan's presence to combat injustice. Conversely, the Bosphorus waters are easily viewed from the palace grounds with gorgeous views of the Golden Horn and Sea of Marmara. In fact, its location at Sergalio Point is one of the highest waterfront points in Istanbul, which gives visitors some of the best Bosphorus views in the entire city. It just goes to show that, if nothing else, the Sultans sure knew how to pick a great property.