Fire Breaks Out at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

In a historical and archaeological building located in the Turkish city of Istanbul, which is the second largest city in the country, a fire suddenly broke out, causing a state of panic and panic among the residents of neighboring houses and passers-by on the street through which hundreds of tourists pass daily, especially in summer. The Topkapi Palace caught fire early this Sunday when the roof of the historic building, which is today one of the most famous monuments in Istanbul, caught fire, as it houses a restaurant, a museum and shops that attract thousands of tourists every year.

Civil defense teams began evacuating guests from nearby hotels as a precaution to protect them while firefighters worked to put out the blaze, which happened hours after the fire started, which the firefighters were able to control after their attempts to extinguish it from over one point inside the palace and outside. The footage and video show the flames on the roof of the palace, as well as from its many windows.

Extent of the Fire and Emergency Response

Although the fire initially broke out on the roof of the building, it soon spread to the courtyard of Topkapı Palace, making it difficult to extinguish the fire. As a result, ambulances drove to the site near the palace, preparing for any emergency. There is no human damage as a result of the fire, but property damage, according to local media, was significant.

Although the media did not mention the cause of the palace fire, Turkish sources told Al-Arabiya.netthat “there are two versions behind the fire.” According to the first source, the cause of the fire was a gas leak in a restaurant located in the palace. Despite the material damage to the historical and archaeological building, it will continue its activities as usual. The Presidium of National Palaces, which oversees heritage and historical buildings in Turkey, said Topkapi Palace will continue to operate despite the fire. The statement added that the visit to the museum located inside this palace will continue as usual at nine o’clock every day.