Topkapi Sarayi

Assalamualaikum! 

How do you do?

OK. Things are getting dull here, I supposed.

So, let's get some fresh air...let's go travelling!

Oh, C'mon! Just for a few minutes! Don't worry about the ticket..this time, MY treat!

Istanbul, tamam?

Sen guzelsin!!!

When I was in Turkey, I visited Topkapi Palace. It was a majestic building...with an impressive entrance gate, named as Gate of Salutation. I was like, "WOW! This is so great!" That I was so EAGER to walk inside.

I began to think that Turkish are so very lucky 

to have such lovely places all around. 

And this Topkapi Palace was my favourite. 

Well to numerate and put them accordingly, 

I just CANNOT! 

Because I love all places, no matter where!

Well then, Topkapi Palace in a glance!



Before, it was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments.


Now, as you can see, it is a 
major tourist attraction in Istanbul. 
Topkapi complex was built on a 
hilly point of Sarayburnu, 
overlooking the Golden Horn and
the Sea of Marmara. And of course, 
you won't missed Bosphorus while 
touring around this complex! 

Topkapi complex was initially constructed in 1459 by the order of Sultan Mehmed 2, the Conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. Which I'm certainly sure that you knew about this glorious war, right? But if you don't know, or you forget, you can check that out here! I promise you, it is worth listening!

It was divided into 4 courtyards. Each courtyard has it's own function. But the most attractive about this place is that it contains the most holy relics of the Muslim world such as the Prophet Muhammad's cloak and sword. Including also the Prophet's bow, stamp, his footprint, his beard, case of Prophet's patten, silver mantle of Prophet and case of banner of the Prophet. 

Also there were a variety of 

swords of the Prophet's companions. 

Among swords I had noted were 

'Sword of Zubayr al-Awwam', 

'Sword of Ammar ibn. Yasir', 

'Sword of Khalid al-Walid', 

'Sword of Ja'far i-Tayyar', 

'Sword of Abu Bakar', 

'Sword of Umar', 

'Sword of Usman' 

and 'Sword of Ali'. 

OK, actually, I'm not going to talk all about Topkapi Palace...but next facts interest me. I was amazed by a sword about my height, which is about 150 cm. Surely, the longest and mightiest sword been displayed. The owner was the 'Flying Martyr'- Ja'far Abi Talib. Next is followed by Umar al-Khattab's. Others were about same sizes with non prominent differences. Meanwhile, Abu Bakar's sword reflected that he is a warm-hearted, kind, loving and very patient believer.


Could you tell me what kind of person Ja'afar Abi Talib was? You tell me.

Who you are determine what you see. 

What you see determines what you get. 

Someone wise, whom I don't know who.

Now look at most thing we possessed. It just reflected who we are! 

How do we dress up? 

Who on earth would want 

to look dirty and sloppy?! 

A person who has pure soul 

cares about wearing clean clothes. 

Some wise people have even said: 

"When one's garment becomes soiled, 

his soul will follow suit."

If you want to wear designer label with RUGGED-TORN-LIKE fashion, then wear. Say, if you have a vast collection of branded watches or shoes that you really need to change every now and then, put 'em on.

Or accessories like bangles and brutal-like PIERCINGS, then do as you pleased. 

If you want to wear up-to-date FASHIONABLE stylish hijab, there's nothing wrong with that.

Evet! I UNDERSTAND. Because they reflect who you are and you certainly don't want to change who you are. Tamam. IF that is your muslim identity.

Hey, it wasn't like I was jealous of you or anything. 

I mean, how totally juvenile would THAT be?!

Talk about colours. Somebody may like bright and fiery colours. Others may prefer soft and pastel ones.  Like our Prophet (PBUH), he loved green, red and white. Rasulullah (SAW) said:

"Wear white and use it as a shroud for your dead."

What else? Books we read? Are they fiction, non-fiction, comics or historic? They may reflect how sensible or instinctive or thinkable or what a feeling person we are. What pet we keep? Or we don't keep any?  My RESEARCH found that people having pets are caring and loving^^ 


Even... how we choose our friends mirrors who we are! In the hadith, Rasulullah (SAW) said: 

“The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk, and the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows.. So as for the seller of musk then either he will grant you some, or you buy some from him, or at least you enjoy a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows then either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from him.” 

That's it!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! 


Don't JUDGE a book by it's cover.
I heard that. Thousands of time.


Look dear, I'm not talking about books or any other materials here. I'm talking about human being. The most interesting part is, I'm talking about a muslim. 


The believer isn't fake. There is nothing you can hold against him. What he does in secret is what he does openly. There aren't secret acts and public acts. They are both the same, INSIDE-OUT. In fact, his inner condition is even better than his outer, and the early muslims would pray. 

"O Allah, make our inner condition 

better than our outer condition, and 

make our outer condition good." 

So, appearance DOES matter!


At the end of the day, a sword was not just a sword itself. It was an EVIDENCE of a certain behaviour. Until next time, kendine iyi bak!