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Istanbul - Topkapi PalaceOne of the highlights of a visit to Istanbul is a trip to the Topkapi Palace, where for over four centuries, thirty sultans ruled in what was the Constantinople. Today, the palace is a museum. I'm Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.Ambience: Palace TourguideTourguide: "It's reserved for the sultan first three wives. They lived in this courtyard as they controlled the concubines. All concubines lived underneath this courtyard.."The harem in the Topkapi Palace had a labyrinth of 300 rooms, connected by courtyards and gardens. At another corner of the palace, there is a place where at every moment of the day or night, someone is reciting from the holy book of Islam, the Koran. So if you were in that room in the Topkapi Palace at this very moment, it would sound like this. Ambience: Reading from KoranHere's a brief excerpt from the Koran:"Wheresoever you look is the face of God." (Quran 2:115)With the sounds of Istanbul, I'm Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.