Throne room, Topkapi Palace harem, Istanbul

Istanbul decoration: even better than expected. I anticipated the Iznik tiles, but I wasn’t prepared for the glorious alchemy of when European grandeur veered head first into Eastern tradition. Case in point: Topkapi Palace, the home of Ottoman sultans (and around 4,000 staff) from 1465 to 1853. By the 18th century, sultans were obsessed with Rococo style, hence the gilt ornament in the harem’s Throne Room. (There are Delft tiles and Murano glass windows, too—who says globalization is new?) Click MORE for the prettiest patterns I found in Turkey, including from Hagia Sofia.

Topkapi ceiling