Topkapı Palace (or Topkapı Sarayı) was built in 1459 as the main residence for the Ottoman sultans and served as a home for the royal family until 1853. It was also known as the Seraglio as it housed the female members of the royal family and the Sultan’s concubines. Since the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, the building has been used as a museum displaying clothing, manuscripts, and other artifacts from the Ottoman Empire. Visitors can see the museum, the rooms of the Harem, and the Byzantine church, Hagia Irene, which was used as an armory by the Ottomans.