During the Byzantine era, the road between Sultanahmet and Beyazit was the main gateway to the city. Called the Mese, this road is also known as the Imperial (Divan) Road. The road stretches from the Hagia Sophia at one end to the Laleli Mosque at the other. After the conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror ordered a palace to be built on this road, which today is the main campus of İstanbul University.

When Topkapı Palace became the main place of official business for the sultan and his court, the road between Sultanahmet and Beyazit was frequently used by leading state officials as well as the sultan himself; this is the reason why the road was called Divanyolu during the Ottoman period.