TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM / KITCHENS

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'42.2"N 28°59'04.0"E / 41.011722, 28.984432

Second Courtyard



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

Palace Kitchen can be entered through the three doors on the second yard’s porticos. First door is Kiler-i Amire Kapısı. The one in the middle is Has Mutfak Kapısı. The last and most near one of the doors to Bab-üs-Saade is Helvahane Kapısı. Mutfaklar is a street like other service units; introvert and independent. There; instead of yard; there is a long service path with fringes on both sides. The kitchens included dormitories, baths and a mosque for the employees, most of which have disappeared over time.

The Palace Kitchens also referred to as the Main Kitchen (Mâtbah-ı Âmire) serving the Sultan, the people of the Enderûn and the Harem open onto the Second Courtyard through the doors of the Main Pantry (Kiler-i Âmire), the Privy Kitchen (Has Mutfak) and the kitchen section where desserts and candies were made, the Helvahâne which are situated in the rear of the cloisters.

The elongated Palace Kitchens (Saray Mutfakları) are a prominent feature of the palace. Some of the kitchens were first built in the 15th century at the time when the palace was constructed. They were modeled on the kitchens of the Sultan's palace at Edirne. They were enlarged during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent but burned down in 1574. The kitchens were remodeled and brought up to date according to the needs of the day by the court architect Mimar Sinan.

The kitchens consisting of ten sections were built in the 15th century and developed and enlarged during the 16th century under the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. They were restored after the fire of 1574 by Chief Architect Mimar Sinan. The low-domed structures located to the south of the kitchens date from the 15th century. The walls are built of stone and the covering system is made of brick.

Rebuilt to the old plan by Sinan, they form two rows of twenty wide chimneys (added by Sinan), rising like stacks from a ship from domes on octagonal drums. The kitchens are arranged on an internal street stretching between the Second Courtyard and the Sea of Marmara. The entrance to this section is through the three doors in the portico of the Second Courtyard: the Imperial commissariat (lower kitchen) door, imperial kitchen door and the confectionery kitchen door.

The palace kitchens consist of ten domed buildings: Imperial kitchen, Enderun (palace school), Harem (women’s quarters), Birun (outer service section of the palace), kitchens, beverages kitchen, confectionery kitchen, creamery, storerooms and rooms for the cooks. They were the largest kitchens in the Ottoman Empire. The meals for the Sultan, the residents of the Harem, Enderun and Birun (the inner and outer services of the palace) were prepared here.

Located in the Divan Courtyard of the palace on the sea aspect of the site. These were built by Mimar Sinan to replace the earlier kitchens. Viewed from the sea side the kitchens 172 meters in length, form a distinctive line of the palace silhouette. Comprising of 10 sections each roofed by 10 domes, the chimneys over the domes give them a distinct and beautiful line. Providing meals for thousands of people daily, the kitchens' cooks cooked separately for the Sultan, his mother, and the ladies of the Harem as well as for other officials of the palace.

These kitchens having ten rooms, was cooking meal for Birun and Enderûn. Mutfak personnel, used to prepare rich fast meals for Ulufe and Festivals. Mutfaklar beginning from the south; was reserved for the palace dwellers and workers,in turn. The first one was the Sultan’s kitchen and was cooking various kinds of foods for one person. Serçini, the chef, was preparing food for the Sultan with other twelve skilled cook. Serçini was responsible for the porcelain dinner sets which are used for the Sultan and delegates reception.

For the kitchens of the palace, from the different places of the empire; qualified material, alive animals, fruits and vegetables and spices used to be provided. Matbah-ı Amire Emini who is responsible for the kitchens, was having a high rank which is close to viziership. Kitchens used to hold a good amount of employees. And Helvacıbaşı was leading the service together with a crowded stuff of people when preparing the deserts. All the dismissals and appointments of all these stuff whom works under directive of Kilercibaşı in Enderun, was managed by him.

These places’ present day use is like that; upon entering the Kiler-i Amire Kapısı, Vekilharç Dairesi which is at the right hand side; being restored; serves as Museum Workshops. Photography Workshop and Textiles Conservation Workshop is also situated in this building. After restorations, Kiler and Yağhane binası functions as Museum Palace Archive. Aşçılar Mescidi with its two floors, beside the oil house structure, is still conserved, but not allowed for visits.

Placed on three sides of an elongated inner courtyard are the Sherbet and Jam Room (Şerbethane / reçelhane), the Dessert and Candy Room (Helvahane), the kitchens proper, the prayer facility for the kitchen chefs and cooks, the oil house, the pantry which is used today as palace archives, and located across from those is the ward for the chefs and cooks. The Palace Kitchens were also serving food to the high state officials, members of the Imperial Council in session and various other groups forming part of the Palace hierarchy.

The 18th century built Mosque of the Cooks is endowed with a wooden loge. The wooden porches of the kitchens’ service roads and the wooden ward structures have been removed in the framework of the 1920 renovations.

The elongated palace kitchens (Saray Mutfakları) are a prominent feature of the palace. Some of the kitchens were first built in the 15th century at the time when the palace was constructed. They were modeled on the kitchens of Edirne Palace. They were enlarged during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent but burned down in 1574. The kitchens were remodeled and brought up to date according to the needs of the day by the court architect Mimar Sinan.

Rebuilt to the old plan by Sinan, they form two rows of 20 wide chimneys (added by Sinan), rising like stacks from a ship from domes on octagonal drums. The kitchens are arranged on an internal street stretching between the Second Courtyard and the Sea of Marmara. The entrance to this section is through the three doors in the portico of the Second Courtyard: the Imperial commissariat (lower kitchen) door, imperial kitchen door and the confectionery kitchen door.

The palace kitchens consist of 10 domed buildings: Imperial kitchen, (palace school), Harem (women’s quarters), Birûn (outer service section of the palace), kitchens, beverages kitchen, confectionery kitchen, creamery, storerooms and rooms for the cooks. They were the largest kitchens in the Ottoman Empire.

The meals for the Sultan, the residents of the Harem, Enderûn and Birûn (the inner and outer services of the palace) were prepared here. Food was prepared for about 4,000 people. The kitchen staff consisted of more than 800 people, rising to 1,000 on religious holidays. As many as 6,000 meals a day could be prepared. Even the serving of food to the sultan was strictly regulated by protocol.

HELVAHANE

PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The "Helvahane" (kitchen for the preparation of desserts), which is a small building neighbouring the court kitchen, has 4 domes and dates from the reign of Sultan Süleyman I, being built by the famous architect Sinan. Its present apperance is the result of its restoration in 1945. In the first room, entering from outside, are displayed the old bronze and copper kitchen utensils of the helvahane, in which various desserts were prepared.

Here can be seen cauldrons and pots in gigantic sizes, as well as marvellous gold and silver-plated jugs, mugs and other items. The dorms of the helvacı, cook and tablakar’s, is being used as exhibition hall of the museum. The building which is built by the dorm of cooks, used to be exhibiting crystals, European porcelains and silvers. Apart from exhibiting kitchen utensils, today the buildings contain a silver gifts and utensils collection, as well as large collections of Chinese blue-and-white, white, and celadon porcelain.

The Dessert and Candy Room (Helvahane), dating from the time of Süleyman the Magnificent, has four sections. There is a foundation inscription dated 1767 to the right of the entrance, and a fountain. This fountain and the Kelime-i Tevhid (The Word of Unity: Islamic declaration of faith in the oneness of God) inscription on the door are believed to date from the repairs carried out ulterior to 1574.

One accedes from the Dessert and Candy Room (Helvahane) into the Sherbet & Jam Room (Şerbethane / reçelhane) situated on the short edge of the courtyard. There is an inscription on this gate regarding a repair work conducted at the structure, mentioning Hadji Mehmet Agha's name and the date of 1699.  The doors in kündekâri style, i.e. made of wood carvings with geometrically designed motifs and the concatenated Iznik tiles belong to the same period.

The dorms of the helvacı, cook and tablakar’s, is being used as exhibition hall of the museum. The building which is built by the dorm of cooks, used to be exhibiting crystals, European porcelains and silvers. In the opposite site, the kitchens are transformed into separate exhibition saloons and exhibiting Chinese and Japanese porcelains.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Topkapı Palace Museum Directorate

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : topkapisarayimuzesi@kultur.gov.tr
Phone : +90 212 512 0480
Fax : +90 212 526 9840

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2017, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.

TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM / WEAPONS COLLECTION

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'45.5"N 28°59'01.4"E / 41.012653, 28.983724

Second Courtyard

EXTERIOR TREASURY BUILDING



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The present Armory Exhibition Hall in the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul was formerly the Inner Treasury of the Ottoman Empire. It is a hall built of stone and brick with eight domes, each 5 x 11.40 m. It was transformed into a museum in 1928, displaying a rich collection of about 400 weapons (dating between the 7th and the 19th c.) from several countries, including swords of many sultans.

The Exterior Treasury building, which is currently used as Weapon Section, was initially constructed under Sultan Mehmet II (the Conqueror) (1451-81), and later demolished along with the former Council Hall and replaced by a new building erected between 1526 and 1528 during the time of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. The structure is covered with eight domes resting on three big buttresses pillars.

The Outer Treasury building has been used as official state treasury up until mid-19th century. The taxes levied from the country and from the provinces, resources originating from military campaigns, the furs and caftans to be bestowed upon ambassadors (hil’at), silk and gold brocade robes, sable-lynx furs and the old registers of the Council Hall were safe-kept in this building.

The trimonthly salaries (ulûfe) of the janissaries and cavalry soldiers (Sipahi) and the military campaign and navy expenditures, and the salaries of civil servants of the central administration were borne by this treasury. The Outer Treasury, which was under the responsibility of the Treasurer (Defterdar) was sealed off and closed by affixing the seal of the Sultan that was conserved by the Grand Vizier. Presently, the building is used as Weapons Section where the different kinds of weapons of different periods are exhibited.

The treasury building with eight domes, situated near the Kubbealtı, is built in the era of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. The taxes which are the incomes of the state were kept there. Maliye Defterhanesi, was the place where the Ottoman Sultans’ gifts called “hilat” which is a precious "kaftan" for the girls or women who is a member of Sultan’s harem and the delegates.

The structure which is known to be having a large fringe on exterior in 16th and 17th century was used by the treasury officials and keepers when putting the money into bags on the days of "ulufe". Interior treasury department with its two floors was very well-secured. Treasury which is under responsibility of the district treasurer would be opened when needed and would be stamped by the Sultan’s stamp which is kept by grand vizier.

This treasury was used to finance the administration of the state. The kaftans given as presents to the viziers, ambassadors and residents of the palace by the financial department and the sultan and other valuable objects were also stored here. The janissaries were paid their quarterly wages (called uluefe) from this treasury, which was closed by the imperial seal entrusted to the grand vizier.

Also located outside the treasury building is a target stone (Nişan Taşı), which is over 2 meters tall. This stone was erected in commemoration of a record rifle shot by Sultan Selim III in 1790. It was brought to the palace from Levend in the 1930s. During excavations in 1937 in front of this building, remains of a religious Byzantine building dating from the fifth century were found. Since it could not be identified with any of the churches known to have been built on the palace site, it is now known as "the Basilica of the Topkapı Palace" or simply Palace Basilica.

The building in which the arms and armour are exhibited was originally one of the palace treasuries (Divan-ı Hümayün Hazinesi / Hazine-ı Amire). Since there was another "inner" treasury in the Third Courtyard, this one was also called outer treasury (dış hazine). Although it contains no dated inscriptions, its construction technique and plan suggest that it was built at the end of the 15th century during the reign of Sultan Süleyman I. It subsequently underwent numerous alterations and renovations.

WEAPONS EXHIBITION HALL

In 1846, at the initiative of Fethi Ahmed Pasha, the Commander of the Cannon Foundry (Tophane), the Church of Hagia Eirene was reorganized so as to form Turkeys first museum, the Collection of Ancient Weapons and the Collection of Antiquities (Mecma-ı Esliha-ı Atika ve Mecma-ı Asar-ı Atika). The museums weaponry was kept here until Topkapı Palace began to be used as a museum in the early 20th century. These weapons would later form the basis of the Military Museums collections, which are among the richest such collections in the world.

The present Armory Exhibition Hall in the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul was formerly the Inner Treasury of the Ottoman Empire. The building with windows and situated next to the Divan is one of the oldest structures of the Topkapı Palace. It is long wing, covered with eight domes of equal size.  It is a hall built of stone and brick with eight domes, each 5 x 11.40 m. Domes are supported by three massive pillars.

Throughout the centuries the treasury of the vast empire was stored here. The treasury was made up of the Sultan's personal possessions, as well as gifts given by European, African and Far Eastern countries. In 1928, four years after the Topkapı Palace was converted into a museum, its collection of arms and armour was put on exhibition in this building.

WEAPONS COLLECTION

PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

Covering 1,300 years and consisting of 52,000 weapons of Arab, Umayyad, Abbasid, Mamluk, Persian, Turkish, Crimean Tartar, Indian, European, and Japanese origin, the Topkapı Palace Museums weaponry collection is also among the world's premier weapons collections. The collection is made up in part of weapons transferred from the cebehane and those used by the palace guards; however, the collections most noteworthy section consists of those weapons ordered by the sultan personally or specially made as gifts for him, which weapons are a part of the palaces private collection.

This collection includes weaponry owned by such Sultans as Mehmed II, Bayezid II, Sultans Selim the Grim, Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultans Selim II, Sultans Mehmed II, and Sultans Ahmed I, as well as the weapons of such high-level dignitaries as grand viziers, pashas, and palace chamberlains; all of these weapons are eye-catching with their fine craftsmanship and decorations. An additional factor that contributed to the diversification of the collections highly artistic weaponry was the tradition of bringing to the palace the weapons of important figures that were obtained through plunder.

The needs of the Ottoman Army, involved as it was in constant warfare and conquests, were many varied. Arms and armor were provided by the weapon-makers of the empire, and kept carefully maintained in large armories in the major urban centers. The weaponry used by the Ottoman army was manufactured in various workshops and stored in armories called cebehane, where their maintenance and repairs would also be done. The first Ottoman cebehane was established in Edirne. Following the conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II converted the Church of Hagia Eirene in Topkapı Palaces First Courtyard into a cebehane, for which purpose this building would continue to be used until the late 19th century.

The most valuable weapons acquired as trophies, many of them encrusted with precious stones or made of precious metals, and those once belonging to persons of importance were kept in the palace, alongside arms acquired by requisition or presented to the courts as gifts, and others belonging to the viziers and palace guards. They were stored in the palace treasuries under the supervision of the imperial treasurer or Hazinedar and the chief sword-bearer or Silahtar Ağa.

Arms bearing a sacred significance in the Islamic world, especially those belonging to important religious figures, were preserved with particular care, hence the excellent state of much of the collection which is based on the weapons kept in the palace, the contents of the armory having later being transferred to the Military Museum.

A significant part of the palace collection was shown for the first time in the privy treasury in the second court of the palace in 1929. The original display was removed in 1966, to be replaced by a new display of arms three years later. Among the most notable example of weaponry in the collection are those o Arab, Mameluke, Iranian and Turkish origin, which are here classified according to the type of arms and their major characteristics.

Today, approximately 400 differents arms of various countries are displayed here. They date from the 7th century to the 19th century. Turkish, Arabic and Persian swords, daggers, helmets, sceptres, chain armour, shields, bows, pistols, rifles and arrows are displayed. An Indian shield (16th century) inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and Japanese chain armour with sword, which were given as gifts to Sultan Abdülmecit II in 1891 are very interesting.

Ottoman Sultan's swords displayed along the wall in glass cases are a favourite attractions. Also to be seen in another display are Europeam swords. Ottoman weapons form the bulk of the collection, but it also includes examples of Umayyad and Abbasid swords as well as Mamluk and Persian armour, helmets, swords and axes. A lesser number of European and Asian arms make up the remainder of the collection.

The Arms Collection, which consists primarily of weapons that remained in the palace at the time of its conversion, is one of the richest assemblages of Islamic arms in the world, with examples spanning a period of 1300 years from the 7th to the 20th century. The palace's collection of arms and armour consists of objects manufactured by the Ottomans themselves, or gathered from foreign conquests, or given as presents.

The collection also contains number of Turkish jereed sticks used in (a kind of mounted darts) , horse arms (head pieces), medieval ceremoni swords, the swords and guns of Daghestan from the Crimea, Japanes swords and helmets and Europe, swords, guns and pistols.

Turkish Arms

The quantity variety of weapons in this group fen the most important part of the collection, including arms dating from the 15th to the 20th century not only of historical, but also of considerable technical, artistic and intrinsic value. The arms of the Ottoman sultans are particularly important for the collection. The typical Turkish sword emerged after some experimentation in the first half of the 15th century as a curved blade or sabre type, the earliest example of which is the sword of Mehmed the Conqueror.

This weapon, which is significant for the collection, is entirely original. The single, slightly curved edge is countered by a broad ridge to the blade which has a channel running down the centre to the tip. When compared with the sword of Selim I we see that the curve in the blade of the latter is slightly more marked, which brings us closer to the noticeable curve of 16th century swords.

It was in the 16th century that the Turkish sword developed to its ultimate if maturity of form, in particular during the reigns of Selim the Grim and Suleyman the Magnificent. We can date the emergence of the short slightly curved double edged sharp-pointed yataghan to the second half of the 16th century.

Turkish chain mail was similar to that of the Mamelukes and was extremely flexible arid light while helmets evolved over the centuries, from the narrow conical type of the 14th and 15th centuries almost all of which had vizors and nap pieces, to a more round-bellied shape towards the end of the 15th century with less pronounced and smaller finial. What we might call the classica1 form was sustained throughout the 16th century and by the end of the century the characteristics of the 17th century type had already been set, with no trace of finial and a brow piece in place of a vizor.

The earliest Turkish guns in the collection date from the beginning of the 17th century. These are the simple matchlock guns which were superceded by the flintlock gun. The latter, also represented in the collection remained little changed until the end of the 19th century but for a narrower but introduced during the 19th century along with a mauser type handle, undoubtedly influenced by European guns. The typical Turkish pistol whether single-or double barrelled, had a ball at the base of the handle.

Maces and halberds, like Iranian and Mameluke Iran arms of that kind in form, were however also to be found in brass and silver. Hatchets too were similar to those of the Mamelukes and Iran, but many had iron shafts. The lances of Turkish spears are generally cane, or hardwood such as ebony.

The history of the bow can be traced far back in Turkish history. Like the sword, arrows were considered sacred and oaths were sworn over them. Renowned as the finest in the world, four distinct materials went into the making of Turkish bows, wood, bone (horn), gut and gum The bows themselves were classified according to their function into three major groups, for hunting, range archer: and war or puta, menzil and tirkes types respectively.

Arrows, which were made o beech, cane or pine are of numerous type again falling into the major groups, such as the range or menzil arrow, a whistling halberdier's or cavus arrow, war or harp arrow and target or hedef arrow. Apart from the common iron or copper shields, there are also a number of Turkish shields made of willow branches twisted round into a spiral. There was no particular form favored by Turkish standards, which were mainly of copper brass, silver or gold.

Arab Swords

This group include the oldest weapons in the collection, also those most venerated in Islam. Dating from the time of the prophet to the 13t century swords belonging to certain Ummayid and Abbasid caliphs, are a similar in type, namely double edge broadswords of which only the blades at generally original, the hilts and cross pieces being later replacements in Mameluke and Turkish styles.

These unique pieces, the like of which are to t found in no other collection throughout the world, are of great importance for Islamic cultural history. They were brought to Istanbul along with a number of relics acquired by Selim I in 1517 on h conquest of Egypt.

Egyptian Mameluke Arms

The are a great number of Mameluke weapons in the collection, many of which a inscribed, and some of particular importance belonging to the Mameluke sultans. We know from the various examples of material and technique used in making of these weapons, which date from the 14th to the 16th centuries, and from the forms themselves that Mameluke weaponry was highly sophisticated in comparison with other contemporary arms.

There were basically two types of Mameluke swords, both represented in the collection, broadswords and sabres (straight and curved blades) , which were used simultaneously from the 14th through the 16th century, although the tendancy one sees among Turkish and Iranian swords of the same period towards the adoption of a single-edged curved blade in place of the earlier double edged broadsword is also discernable among Mameluke arms. The two finest swords of the period are those of the Mameluke Sultans Kayitbay and Kansuh-el-Guri.

Mameluke chain mail is either profiled wrought chain mail or fine, flat link mail, with steel guards under the arms, and breast and back plates, similar to Turkish chain mail of the 15-16th centuries. The flat link mail, being lighter and finer, is notably more serviceable than heavy European chain mails. The Mameluke conical iron helmets are characterized by ear and nape pieces.

The hatchets are single or double bladed with typical crescent-shaped head and round or angled iron shafts. Lances too, unlike Turkish and Iranian lances are iron, as are the Mameluke maces and halberds, all extremely effective weapons. Like Arab arms, these Mameluke weapons w brought to Istanbul after the capture Egypt.

Iranian Arms

Acquired as trophies or gifts, these are highly decorated may be classed among the finest exam of Iranian metalwork. The earliest swords in the collection, pre-dating the 15th century, indicate that like Mameluke Turkish swords these were gener double edged broadswords, tending later (after the 15th century) to be superceded by swords of the single edged sabre type the curved blade narrowing in the century to a sharper point in the scimitar or semsir type. Iranian helmets in collection are typically semi-spherical extended pointed finials and two aigrette mountings towards the front.

Chain mail with steel breast and back plates or characteristic form of armor, although there is also a type consisting of four plates or 'car ayine'. Hatchets are widespread broad-edged type rescent-shaped axe heads, mainly shafted, while the lances are wooden or reed shafted. Bows are composite Vi broad curve and a marked recoil to the arms, and standards, remeniscent of tulips or palmettes in form, are decorated open-work engraving and mounted iron shafts.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Topkapı Palace Museum Directorate

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : topkapisarayimuzesi@kultur.gov.tr
Phone : +90 212 512 0480
Fax : +90 212 526 9840

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2017, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.

TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM / IMPERIAL COUNCIL (DIVAN-I HUMAYUN)

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'44.1"N 28°59'00.6"E / 41.012244, 28.983486

Second Courtyard



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The first Council Hall was a wooden structure built under Fatih Sultan Mehmet II (the Conqueror) (1451-1481). The present arcaded structure is the product of the re-construction work conducted in 1527-29 under Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent by Chief Architect Alâeddin and the various successive renovations performed thereafter. The interior walls were marble coated during the 16th century. Certain ornaments and the stalactite column heads and arches of its porch and the symbol of power marble crowned empty archway dates from the 16th century period of the building.

The structure received its present-day appearance through the ornaments added-on during the renovation performed in 1792 under the reign of Sultan Selim III. The archways were closed with gilded grids and doors with rococo reliefs were added-on. One of the two inscriptions in verse on the façade of the building, which underwent a further renovation in 1819 during the reign of Sultan Mahmut II, belongs to Sultan Selim III and the other to Sultan Mahmut II. The arch wall of the Clerk’s Office of the Imperial Council (Divan-i Hümâyûn) bears the monograms of Sultan Mustafa III.

In the early times of the Kanuni Sultan Süleyman (1520-1566) era, built by Mimarbaşı Alaüddin (Acem Ali). The building at the left corner of the yard, in front of the Palace of Justice, is formed of three side-by-side places. At the side of the yard, the first structure having a dome is Divan-ı Hümayun.

The other place connected to this room via a large aperture is Divan-ı Hümayun Kalemi. the room with a dome, opening to this room with a small door is Defterhane. This building is damaged in the 1665 Harem fire and has been renewed by Sultan Mehmet IV. At the face of the structure, the written inscriptions referring to the repairments in the eras of Sultan III. Selim (1789-1807) and Sultan II. Mahmut (1808-1839) can be seen.

The Imperial Council (Dîvan-i Hümâyûn), also called Kubbealtı, consisted of three departments, namely, the Council Chamber as such where state affairs were being discussed, the clerk offices where the decisions taken by the Council were put in writing, and the registry (Defterhane)  where the documents and  decision records were archived. The Imperial Council would convene four days a week.

The council hall has multiple entrances both from inside the palace and from the courtyard. The porch consists of multiple marble and porphyry pillars, with an ornate green and white-coloured wooden ceiling decorated with gold. The floor is covered in marble. The entrances into the hall from outside are in the rococo style, with gilded grills to admit natural light. While the pillars are earlier Ottoman style, the wall paintings and decorations are from the later rococo period.

Inside, the Imperial Council building consists of three adjoining main rooms. Two of the three domed chambers of this building open into the porch and the courtyard. The Divanhane, built with a wooden portico at the corner of the Divan Court (Divan Meydani) in the 15th century, was later used as the mosque of the council but was removed in 1916.

There are three domed chambers : The first chamber where the Imperial Council held its deliberations is the Kubbealtı. The second chamber was occupied by the secretarial staff of the Imperial Divan. In the adjacent third chamber called Defterhāne, records were kept by the head clerks. The last room also served as a document archive.

On its façade are verse inscriptions, which mention the restoration work carried out in 1792 and 1819, namely under Sultan Selim III and Mahmud II. The rococo decorations on the façade and inside the Imperial Council date from this period. The main chamber Kubbealtı is, however, decorated with Ottoman Kütahya tiles. Three long sofas along the sides were the seats for the officials, with a small hearth in the middle. The small gilded ball that hangs from the ceiling represents the earth. It is placed in front of the sultan's window and symbolises him dispensing justice to the world, as well as keeping the powers of his viziers in check.

PERFORMANCE OF DIVAN-I HUMAYUN

Divan-ı Hümayun where the Ottoman Empire is governed, meet in council four times a week (on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays). Grand vizier and Kubbealtı Vezirleri which is formed of six or nine persons; constituting the associate members of the Divan; Anadolu and Rumeli Kazaskerleri; sitting on the lounge in front of Kubbealtı, discuss the affairs of the state or result the cases upon listening. Highest rank officers after viziers were the Kazasker’s who are handling the matters of military cases, inheritance cases, legal and religious matters.

After Divan councils, coming before the Sultan, interviewed subjects of the day would be summarized. Divan-ı Hümayun Kalemleri would handle all the administrative affairs of the state similar to present day’s council of ministers. By transfer of government affairs to the Sadrazam Sarayı (Bab-ı Ali) in the late 18th century, Divan forms itself into a function of distributing mevacip to the Kapıkulu Soldiers and accepting the delegates.

In the Imperial Council meetings the political, administrative and religious affairs of the state and important concerns of the citizens were discussed. The Imperial Council normally met four times a week (Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) after prayer at dawn. The meetings of the Imperial Council were run according to an elaborate and strict protocol.

Council members such as the Grand Vizier, viziers, chief military officials of the Muslim Judiciary (Kazaskers) of Rumelia and Anatolia, the Minister of Finance or heads of the Treasury (defterdar), the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Reis-ül-Küttab) and sometimes the Grand Müfti (Sheikh ül-İslam) met here to discuss and decide the affairs of state. Other officials who were allowed were the Nişancilar secretaries of the Imperial Council and keepers of the royal monogram (tuğra) and the officials charged with the duty of writing official memoranda (Tezkereciler), and the clerks recording the resolutions.

From the window with the golden grill the Sultan or the Valide Sultan was able to follow deliberations of the council without being noticed. The window could be reached from the imperial quarters in the adjacent Tower of Justice (Adalet Kulesi). When the sultan rapped on the grill or drew the red curtain the Council session was terminated, and the viziers were summoned one by one to the Audience Hall (Arz Odası) to present their reports to the sultan.

All the statesmen, apart from the Grand Vizier, performed their dawn prayers in the Hagia Sophia and entered the Imperial Gate according to their rank, passing through the Gate of Salutation and into the divan chamber, where they would wait for the arrival of the Grand Vizier. The Grand Vizier performed his prayers at home, and was accompanied to the palace by his own attendants. On his arrival there, he was given a ceremonial welcome, and before proceeding to the imperial divan, he would approach the Gate of Felicity and salute it as if paying his respects to the gate of the sultan's house.

He entered the chamber and took his seat directly under the sultan's window and council commenced. Affairs of the state were generally discussed until noon, the members of the Council dined in the chambers after which petitions were heard here. All the members of Ottoman society, men and women of all creeds were granted a hearing. An important ceremony was held to mark the first Imperial Council of each new Grand Vizier, and also to mark his presentation with the Imperial Seal (Mühr-ü Hümayûn).

The most important ceremony took place every three months during the handing out of salaries (ulûfe) to the Janissaries. The reception of foreign dignitaries was normally arranged for the same day, creating an occasion to reflect the wealth and might of the state. Ambassadors were then received by the Grand Vizier in the Council chambers, where a banquet was held in their honour.

From the window with the golden grill, the Sultan or the Valide Sultan was able to follow deliberations of the council without being noticed. The window could be reached from the imperial quarters in the adjacent Tower of Justice (Adalet Kulesi). When the sultan rapped on the grill or drew the red curtain, the Council session was terminated, and the viziers were summoned one by one to the Audience Hall (Arz Odası) to present their reports to the sultan.

THE PRINCIBAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL

The principal members of the Council had become fixed by the time of Sultan Mehmed II at least. The viziers, responsible for political and military affairs, and also liable to be sent on campaign, either under the Sultan or the Grand Vizier, or as commanders themselves. Their number was originally three, but this was raised to four in the mid-16th century, five in 1566, and seven in 1570/1. Their number reached as many as eleven in 1642, but by this time the title of vizier was also held by senior provincial governors (beylerbeys), who did not attend the council. The viziers with the right to attend the Council were designated "viziers of the dome" (kubbe vezirleri) from the dome surmounting the council chamber in the divanhane.

The military judges (kadi'askers), responsible for legal matters. Probably founded under Sultan Murad I, there was only one holder of the post until the late reign of Sultan Mehmed II, when a second was instituted, leading to a division of responsibility between them: one was responsible for Rumeli (the European provinces) and one for Anatolia (the Asian provinces). For brief periods, the existence of a third kadi'asker is attested as well.

The treasurers (defterdars), originally a single office-holder, increased to two (likewise one for Rumelia and one for Anatolia) by 1526, and four from 1578 (Rumelia, Anatolia, Istanbul and the "Danube", i.e. the northern coasts of the Black Sea). Further defterdars served in the provinces. With the decline of state finances from the late 16th century on, their importance increased greatly.

The chancellor (nişancı), possibly one of the most ancient offices, was originally the person who drew the Sultan's seal on documents to make them official. He became the head of an ever-expanding the government secretariat, overseeing the production of official documents.

The members of the Imperial Council represented the pinnacles of their respective specialized careers: the viziers the military-political; the kadi'askers the legal; the defterdars the financial service; and the nişancı the palace scribal service. This was all the more the case after the 16th century, when these careers became—as a general rule—mutually exclusive.

While the latter groups were from the outset recruited mostly from the Muslim Turkish population (although the kadi'askers tended to come from a very limited circle of legal families), the viziers were, after 1453, mostly drawn from Christian converts. These were partly voluntary (including, until the early 16th century, members of Byzantine and other Balkan aristocratic families) but over time the products of the devshirme system, which inducted humble-born youths into the Palace School, came to predominate.

An appointment to the ranks of the Imperial Council was an avenue to great power, influence and enormous wealth, which was matched by equally ostentatious expenditure for, as Colin Imber writes, "the sign of a man's status in Ottoman society was the size of his household and the size of his retinue when he appeared in public", meaning that the members of the Council often kept hundreds, if not thousands, of slaves.

The members of the Council, namely the Grand Vizier, the Kubbealtı Viziers, the Supreme Military Judges of Anatolia and Rumelia (the European part of the Ottoman Empire) would deliberate on state affairs, take decisions   and pronounce judgments on judiciary cases to be submitted to the Sultan as the highest authority. The Sheikh ul-lslam, the chief religious official in the Ottoman Empire, (Şeyhülislam) would, when invited, participate in some important meetings.

Over time, the Council's membership was extended to include additional officials. The beylerbeyi of the Rumeli Eyalet, who was the only provincial governor entitled to a seat in the Council, but only when a matter fell within his jurisdiction. After the post's creation in 1535, the Kapudan Pasha, the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman navy, was also admitted as a member. The Agha of the Janissaries was admitted to the Council if he held the rank of vizier.

In addition, a number of officials attended Council meetings but did not have seats in the chamber and did not take part in the discussions, such as the head of the scribes (reis-ül-küttab), the çavuş başı, the kapıcılar kethüdası, various financial secretaries and palace officials, interpreters (tercüman, whence "dragoman") and police chiefs, each in turn with his own retinue of clerks and assistants.

COUNCIL BUREAUCRACY

An ever-expanding scribal service, under the supervision of the Reis ül-küttab, assisted the members of the Council, preparing the material for its sessions, keeping records of its decisions and creating the necessary documents. As their duties included drafting the state correspondence with other powers, initially they were probably drawn from various milieus, since until the early 16th century the Sultans corresponded with foreign rulers in their own language. After ca. 1520 documents were only drawn up in Turkish, Arabic or Persian, and the service seems to have consisted solely of Muslims.

The main branches of this secretarial service were : The main chancery (divan kalemi or beylik/beylikçi kalemi) under the beylikçi, the senior subordinate of the reis-ül-küttab. This was the office responsible for drafting and publishing all imperial decrees (firman) or ordinances on all issues except for financial ones, and for keeping an archive of the originals of all laws and regulations (kanun) as well as treaties or other documents concerning relations with other states.

The tahvil kalemi, also nişan or kese kalemi, which issued the documents of appointment for the posts of vizier, beylerbeyi, sancakbeyi and provincial kadı, and kept the relevant records. In addition, it dealt with the grant and transfer of timars and ziamets. The ruus kalemi, which was responsible for the appointments of all other civil, military or religious officials beyond those dealt with by the tahvil kalemi. The offices of the master of ceremonies (teşrifatçı) and official court chronicler (vakanüvis) who kept records on ceremonies and history.

A later addition, the amedi or amedci, the chief of staff to the reis-ül-küttab, headed a department responsible for the conduct of foreign affairs, as well as for the liaison between the various government departments and the palace.

Council members such as the Grand Vizier, viziers, chief military officials of the Muslim Judiciary (Kazaskers) of Rumelia and Anatolia, the Minister of Finance or heads of the Treasury (defterdar), the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Reis-ül-Küttab) and sometimes the Grand Müfti (Sheikh ül-İslam) met here to discuss and decide the affairs of state. Other officials who were allowed were the Nişancilar secretaries of the Imperial Council and keepers of the royal monogram (tuğra) and the officials charged with the duty of writing official memoranda (Tezkereciler), and the clerks recording the resolutions.

Other officers of the Council were, the officer in charge of affixing the monogram of the Sultan on decrees and other official documents: nişancı; the treasurer: defterdar; the Head of the Clerks and Foreign Minister: Reis-ül Küttab; the writers of official communications/messages, permits, licenses and certificates: tezkereciler and the clerks: kâtipler.  At these meetings, the state's political, administrative, financial, and customary affairs and important public cases were discussed.

The Council Hall was also the venue where Grand Viziers would receive foreign ambassadors and where the wedding ceremonies of Sultan's daughters would take place.

IMPERIAL COUNCIL HALL / KUBBEALTI

Kubbealtı, is the main meeting place of Divan-ı Hümayun. On its adjoining wall to Palace of Justice, Sultans would watch the Divan-ı Hümayun works behind the gold glossed bars of the window which is called Kafes-i Müşebbek. The Ottoman Empire was run from here. These three chambers, between the Harem and the rest of Topkapi Palace, are where Ottoman sultans met with their imperial councils to conduct affairs of state. It is also called Kubbealti (Kubbealtı), which means “under the dome”, and is located in the northwestern corner of the courtyard next to the Gate of Felicity.

The Imperial Council (Divan-ı Hümayun) building is the chamber in which the ministers of state, council ministers (Divan Heyeti), the Imperial Council, consisting of the Grand Vizier (Paşa Kapısı), viziers, and other leading officials of the Ottoman state, held meetings. It is also called Kubbealtı, which means "under the dome", in reference to the dome in the council main hall. It is situated in the northwestern corner of the courtyard next to the Gate of Felicity.

The meetings here were surprisingly regulated, convened four times a week after the dawn prayers. A special golden window high on the wall of the main council chamber allowed the Sultan to observe the Imperial Council discussions. Accessible through the Tower of Justice, it was both symbolic of the role of justice in affairs of state and practical because it was easily accessible from where the Sultan and his family lived in the Harem.

For the Ottoman equivalent of a parliament or senate forum, the rooms are surprisingly small. These are very much about providing a venue; functional considerations were minimal. Long sofas line the walls for sitting, but the only other furniture is a small hearth in the middle of the room. Hanging from the center of the dome is a golden ball that signified the earth.

Two of the chambers are lavishly decorated, with distinctive Ottoman domes. Kütahya tiles line the walls and add the sense of occasion that the rooms deserve for their role in maintaining the mighty Ottoman empire. This isn’t the original council chambers building. It was replaced during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in the mid 16th century.

The first Council chambers in the palace were built during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II, and the present building dates from the period of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent by the chief architect Alseddin. It has since undergone several changes, was much damaged and restored after the Harem fire of 1665, and according to the entrance inscription it was also restored during the periods of Sultan Selim III and Sultan Mahmud II.

From the 18th century onwards, the place began to lose its original importance, as state administration was gradually transferred to the Sublime Porte (Bab-ı Ali) of the Grand Viziers. The last meeting of the Council in the palace chambers was held on Wednesday, August 30, 1876, when the cabinet (Vükela Heyeti) met to discuss the state of Sultan Murat V, who had been indisposed for some time.

The council hall has multiple entrances both from inside the palace and from the courtyard. The porch consists of multiple marble and porphyry pillars, with an ornate green and white-coloured wooden ceiling decorated with gold. The floor is covered in marble. The entrances into the hall from outside are in the rococo style, with gilded grills to admit natural light.

While the pillars are earlier Ottoman style, the wall paintings and decorations are from the later rococo period. Inside, the Imperial Council building consists of three adjoining main rooms. Two of the three domed chambers of this building open into the porch and the courtyard. The Divanhane, built with a wooden portico at the corner of the Divan Court (Divan Meydanı) in the 15th century, was later used as the mosque of the council but was removed in 1916.

There are 3 domed chambers : The first chamber where the Imperial Council held its deliberations is the Kubbealtı. The second chamber was occupied by the secretarial staff of the Imperial Divan. In the adjacent third chamber called Defterhane, records were kept by the head clerks. The last room also served as an archive in which documents were kept.

On its façade are verse inscriptions which mention the restoration work carried out in 1792 and 1819, namely under Sultan Selim III and Sultan Mahmud II. The rococo decorations on the façade and inside the Imperial Council date from this period. The main chamber Kubbealtı is however in decorated with Ottoman Kütahya tiles. Three long sofas along the sides were the seats for the officials, with a small hearth in the middle. The small gilded ball that hangs from the ceiling represent the earth. It is placed in front of the sultan's window and symbolises him dispensing justice to the world, as well as keeping the powers of his viziers in check.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Topkapı Palace Museum Directorate

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : topkapisarayimuzesi@kultur.gov.tr
Phone : +90 212 512 0480
Fax : +90 212 526 9840

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2017, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.

TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM / DİVAN MEYDANI

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'40.9"N 28°58'59.4"E / 41.011362, 28.983156

Second Courtyard



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

Second Courtyard, with the kitchens to the right. Sultan Selim III holding an audience in front of the Gate of Felicity in the Second Courtyard. Courtiers are assembled in a strict protocol upon passing the Middle Gate, the visitor enters the Second Courtyard (II. Avlu), or Divan Square (Divan Meydanı), which was a park full of peacocks and gazelles, used as a gathering place for courtiers. This courtyard is considered the outer one (Birûn). Only the Sultan was allowed to ride on the black pebbled walks that lead to the Third Courtyard.

The courtyard was completed probably around 1465 during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II, but received its final appearance around 1525-1529 during the reign of Sultan Süleyman I. This courtyard is surrounded by the former palace hospital, bakery, Janissary quarters, stables, the imperial harem and Divan to the north and the kitchens to the south. At the end of the courtyard, the Gate of Felicity marks the entrance to the Third Courtyard. The whole area is unified by a continuous marble colonnade, creating an ensemble.

Numerous artifacts from the Roman and Byzantine periods have been found on the palace site during recent excavations. These include sarcophagi, baptismal fonts, parapet slabs and pillars and capitals. They are on display in the Second Courtyard in front of the imperial kitchens. Located underneath the Second Courtyard is a cistern that dates to Byzantine times. It is normally closed to the public.

Upon passing the Middle Gate, the visitor enters the Second Courtyard (II. Avlu), or Divan Square (Divan Meydanı), which was a park full of peacocks and gazelles, used as a gathering place for courtiers. This courtyard is considered the outer one (Birûn). Only the Sultan was allowed to ride on the black pebbled walks that lead to the Third Courtyard. A strict protocol that governed the functioning and workings of the Second Courtyard was to ensure discipline and respect, as well as lend an air of majesty to the court.

The Second Courtyard was primarily used by the sultan to dispense justice and hold audiences. This was done here also to impress visitors. Various Austrian, Venetian and French ambassadors have left accounts of what such an audience looked like. The French ambassador Philippe du Fresne-Canaye led an embassy in 1573 to the sultan:

At the right hand was seated the Agha of Janissaries, very near the gate, and next to him some of the highest grandees of the court. The Ambassador saluted them with his head and they got up from their seats and bowed to him. And at a given moment all the Janissaries and other soldiers who had been standing upright and without weapons along the wall of that court did the same, in such a way that seeing so many turbans incline together was like observing a fast field of ripe corn moving gently.

We looked with great pleasure and even greater admiration at this frightful number of Janissaries and other soldiers standing all along the walls of this court, with hands joined in front in the manner of monks, in such silence that it seemed we were not looking at men but statues. And they remained immobile in that way more than seven hours, without talking or moving. Certainly it is most impossible to comprehend this discipline and this obedience when one has not seen it.

IMPERIAL STABLES

GPS : 41°00'43.5"N 28°58'56.6"E / 41.012083, 28.982389

PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

Imperial Stables are located on the Golden Horn Side of the second yard, between Imperial Treasury and Imperial Council Hall. Imperial Stables of the Topkapi Palace housed the horses that only Sultan and high ranked people of Enderun rode. A vast collection of harnesses is kept in the Imperial Stables.

The structure used for the horses of the Sultan and of the Enderûn aghas (ağalar) is dated to the first period of the palace. The stable sheltering a certain number of selected horses belonging to the Sultan was under the responsibility of the stableman (imrahor).

The space covered with a single dome and the connecting rooms located at the north end of the rectangular-shaped structure served as storage hall for the valuable harnesses and saddles of the Sultan, the “Imperial Harness Treasury” (Raht-ı Hümâyûn Hazinesi). The ornamented ceiling of the domed space was transposed here from the Köçeoğlu Mansion during the 1940 refurbishing. This section housed as well the apartments of the Stables’ Custodian (Ahır Emini), also called the Chief Stableman (Baş imrahor) and other attendants.

From the inscription on its gate, we understand that the building was completely restored in 1736 and the old mosque and baths in the courtyard were re-constructed by Chief Eunuch Beshir Agha (Dârü’s-saâde Ağası Beşir Ağa). The basins in the courtyard date from the periods of Fatih Sultan Mehmet (1451-81) and Sultan Murat III (1574-95). The Imperial Stables connect with the First Courtyard / Ceremony Square through the passage way called the Stable Gate or Gate of Meyyit  (Funeral Gate).

Located on the other side of the courtyard, around five to six meters below ground level, are the imperial stables (Istabl-ı Âmire). The stables include the privy stables (Has Ahır) and were constructed during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II and renovated during the reign of Sultan Süleyman I. A vast collection of harness treasures (Raht Hazinesi) is kept in the privy stables. Also located there is the small 18th-century mosque and bath of Beşir Ağa (Beşir Ağa Camii ve Hamamı), the chief black eunuch of Sultan Mahmud I.

WARD OF THE BRAIDED GUARDS / ZÜLÜFLÜ AĞALAR

GPS : 41°00'44.6"N 28°58'59.0"E / 41.012389, 28.983056

PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The Ward of the Zülüflu Guards was formed in the 15th Century for the purpose of introduction into military service.  The corps conducted such duties as cleaning the palace Harem and Selamlık, conducting rapid and confidential communications of the sultan, carrying and re-assembling the throne for the accession and religious holiday ceremonies, moving heavy objects and carrying the funeral bier of the sultan and his family members.

The word “zülüflü” (“braided”) stems from the braids hanging down on either side of their conical headgear. Their turned up collars and braids hindered them from observing the surroundings in the Harem while conducting their duties such as carrying in firewood. The Zülüflu Guards Chamberlain was their commander. According to the duties assigned they bore such titles as Chief of the Guard, Keeper of the Council Chamber, Supplier of the Pantry, Captain of the Guards, Officer of Chambers, Producer of Dried Fruits and Nuts, Water Pipeline Builder, and Runner.

The dormitories are constructed around a main courtyard in the traditional layout of an Ottoman house, with baths and a mosque, as well as recreational rooms such as a pipe-room. On the outside and inside of the complex, many pious foundation inscriptions about the various duties and upkeep of the quarters can be found. In contrast to the rest of the palace, the quarters are constructed by wood, which is painted in red and green.

At the end of the imperial stables are the Dormitories of the Halberdiers with Tresses (Zülüflü Baltacılar Koğuşu). These quarters were used by a corps that was responsible for carrying wood to the palace rooms, cleaning and serving service for the harem and the quarters of the male pages, moving furniture and acting as masters of ceremonies.

The halberdiers wore long tresses to signify their higher position. The first mention of this corps is around 1527, when they were established to clear the roads ahead of the army during a campaign. The dormitory was founded in the 15th century. It was enlarged by the chief architect Davud Ağa in 1587, during the reign of Sultan Murad III.

The baltacı or baltadji corps was a class of palace guards in the Ottoman Empire from the 15th to the early 19th centuries. Since the Topkapı Palace was the principal imperial residence, the men of its baltadji company held special status: while the men of the other companies were enrolled, after a period of service, in the Janissary infantry regiments, the men of the Topkapı Palace had the privilege of being enrolled in the sipahi and silahdar cavalry regiments.

The Topkapı baltadjis were commanded by a kahya or kethüda, who was under the authority of the Sultan's principal page, the Silahdar Agha. The company was also responsible for supplying firewood to the Imperial Harem. In order to avoid inadvertently seeing the harem's ladies, the baltacıs were outfitted with special blinkers of cloth or lace and jackets with very high collars, whence they were commonly known as the "blinkered axemen" (zülüflü baltacılar).

In addition, twelve subalterns (kalfas) of the Topkapı Palace company, chosen for their literacy, fulfilled ceremonial duties: they brought the Sultan's throne during his enthronement ceremony and on other festivals, they guarded the sacred standard of the Prophet on campaign while reciting verses from the Quran, guarding the belongings of the harem ladies when the court moved out of the Topkapı during the summer, and, after the 17th century, with presenting the preachers at the Sultan Ahmed Mosque with sharbat, rosewater and incense on the Prophet's Birthday.

Further baltadjis of the Topkapı company were also attached to the chief palace officers, while two kalfas of the company served as the head cook and deputy head cook of the imperial kitchen.

TOWER OF JUSTICE

GPS : 41°00'44.7"N 28°59'00.1"E / 41.012402, 28.983365

PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The Tower of Justice (Adalet Kulesi) is located between the Imperial Council and the Harem. The tower is several stories high and the tallest structure in the palace, making it clearly visible from the Bosphorus as a landmark. The tower symbolizes the eternal vigilance of the sultan against injustice. Everyone from afar was supposed to be able to see the tower to feel assured about the sultan's presence.

The tower was originally constructed under Sultan Mehmet II (the Conqueror) (1444-46/1451-81) as a tower kiosk and then renovated and enlarged by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent between 1527 and 1529. The tower had on its top a wooden pinnacle covered with a conical roof. Sultan Mahmut II elevated the tower further by reconstructing its lantern in 1825 (1820).

Eventually, a belvedere in Empire style was added onto the tower during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz (1861-76). The stairs of the five-storey tower date from the 19th century. The tower was built as an example of traditional palace towers enabling the sovereign to view the city and the palace, and in particular, to follow the Council meetings from his grilled window. The golden window in the Imperial Council is accessible through the Tower of Justice, thus adding to the importance of the symbolism of justice.

The tower was also used by the sultan for viewing pleasures. The old tower used to have grilled windows, enabling him to see without being seen, adding to the aura of seclusion. The tall windows with engaged columns and the Renaissance pediments evoke the Palladian style.

BEŞİR AĞA MOSQUE AND BATHS

GPS : 41°00'42.1"N 28°58'56.6"E / 41.011694, 28.982389

PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The mosque and baths were built in 1736 by Hadji Beshir Agha (Hacı Beşir Ağa), the Chief Eunuch of the Palace (Dârü’s-saâde Ağası) during the time Sultan Mahmut I, for the use of the Imperial Stables officials. The structure is elevated off the ground (fevkani) and constructed in neo- classical style.

The walls of the mosque are covered with stone-brick masonry imitation plasters in accordance with the fashion of the 18th century.  It has a single minaret. All wooden parts and the loge were renovated whereas the early baroque style stained glass windows and the marble altar are original. The baths (hamam) which connect to the southern wing of the mosque are double-domed.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Topkapı Palace Museum Directorate

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : topkapisarayimuzesi@kultur.gov.tr
Phone : +90 212 512 0480
Fax : +90 212 526 9840

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2017, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.

TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM / SECOND COURTYARD

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'40.9"N 28°58'59.4"E / 41.011362, 28.983156

GATE OF SALUTATION / BABUS SELAM



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror had the middle gate built in 1468. After repairs completed during the Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent reign, the gate’s cut stone portal arch with wide borders and side niches reflect classic Ottoman architectural styles, and its two towers resemble European castle entrances. The iron door was the work of İsa bin Mehmed in 1524.

On the side facing the first courtyard, are seen Kelime-i Tevhid (statement of Islamic faith), Sultan Mahmud II signature, marble plaques with inscriptions regarding reparations dated 1758, and the signature of Sultan Mustafa III. On the side facing the second courtyard, the rococo style arches are dated to the 18th Century, and the landscapes dated to the 19th Century. The wards that were used by the guards on either side of the gate are no longer extant.

No one apart for official purpose and foreign dignitaries were allowed passage through the gate. All visitors had to dismount by the Middle Gate, since only the sultan was allowed to enter the gate on horseback. Today it serves as the visitor entrance to the Museum.

The Gate of Salutation (Bâb-üs Selâm), entrance to the Second courtyard of Topkapı Palace. The large Gate of Salutation, also known as the Middle Gate (Orta Kapı), leads into the palace and the Second Courtyard. This crenelated gate has two large octagonal pointed towers. The date of construction of this gate is not clear, since the architecture of the towers is of Byzantine influence rather than Ottoman. It is speculated that the gate emulates the Cannon Gate, which used to be the royal seaside entrance to the palace gardens from the shore of the Bosphorus.

An inscription at the door dates this gate to at least 1542. In a miniature painting from the Hünername from 1584, a low-roofed structure with three windows above the arch between the towers is clearly visible, probably a guards' hall that has since disappeared. The gate is richly decorated on both sides and in the upper part with religious inscriptions and monograms of sultans.

No one apart for official purpose and foreign dignitaries were allowed passage through the gate. All visitors had to dismount by the Middle Gate, since only the sultan was allowed to enter the gate on horseback.

IMPERIAL CARRIGES

PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

Directly behind the Gate of Salutation, on the northeast side, the imperial carriages are temporarily exhibited in the former outer stables and harness rooms. This is a relatively low building, altered in 1735 when a new ceiling was installed. Its roof is one of the few undomed roofs to retain its 15th-century shape. Many carriages were destroyed in a fire in the previous stables in the late 19th century.

The carriages on display are some of the sultan's carriages, including the state carriage, the carriage of the Valide Sultan (Queen Mother), and minor court carriages. Some of the carriages were foreign-made vehicles that were imported for the court. Located next to the carriages to the north are the extensive palace kitchens.

GATE OF CARTS / DOMED CUPBOARD CHAMBER

The entrance gate from the Second Courtyard is the Gate of Carts (Arabalar Kapısı), which leads into the Domed Cupboard Room (Dolaplı Kubbe). This place was built as a vestibule to the harem in 1587 by Sultan Murad III. The harem treasury worked here. In its cupboards, records of deeds of trust were kept, administered by the Chief Harem Eunuch. This treasury stored money from the pious foundations of the harem and other foundations, and financial records of the sultans and the imperial family.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Topkapı Palace Museum Directorate

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : topkapisarayimuzesi@kultur.gov.tr
Phone : +90 212 512 0480
Fax : +90 212 526 9840

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2017, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.

TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM / FIRST COURTYARD

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'31.0"N 28°58'53.3"E / 41.008612, 28.981477

IMPERIAL GATE



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The Imperial Gate (Turkish: Bab-ı Hümayun) is the main entrance into the First Courtyard. The four courtyards lead to each other and during the Ottoman Empire, each became steadily more exclusive leading to the Fourth Courtyard, which was the sultan's private courtyard.

The main street leading to the palace is the Byzantine processional Mese avenue, today Divan Yolu (Street of the Council). The Street of the Council was used for imperial processions during the Ottoman era. It leads directly to the Hagia Sophia and takes a turn northwest towards the palace square where the landmark Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III stands.

The sultan would enter the palace through the Imperial Gate, also known as "Gate of the Sultan" (Saltanat Kapısı) located to the south of the palace. This massive gate, originally dating from 1478, is now covered in 19th-century marble. The massiveness of this stone gate accentuates its defensive character. Its central arch leads to a high-domed passage. Gilded Ottoman calligraphy adorns the structure at the top, with verses from the Qur'an and tughras of the sultans. Identified tughras are of Sultan Mehmed II and Sultan Abdülaziz I, who renovated the gate.

One of the inscriptions at the gate proclaims :
By the Grace of God, and by His approval, the foundations of this auspicious castle were laid, and its parts were solidly joined together to strengthen peace and tranquility. This blessed castle, with the aim of ensuring safety of Allah's support and the consent of the son of Sultan Mehmed, son of Sultan Murad, sultan of the land, and ruler of the seas, the shadow of Allah on the people and demons, God's deputy in the east and west, the hero of water and soil, the conqueror of Constantinople and the father of its conquest, Sultan Mehmed Khan- May Allah make eternal his empire, and exalt his residence above the most lucid stars of the firmament.

On each side of the hall are rooms for the guard. The gate was open from morning prayer until the last evening prayer. According to old documents, there was a wooden apartment above the gate area until the second half of the 19th century. It was used first as a pavilion by Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, later as a depository for the properties of those who died inside the palace without heirs and eventually as the receiving department of the treasury. It was also used as a vantage point for the ladies of the harem on special occasions.

Bâb-ı Hümâyûn, first of the three ceremonial gates of Topkapı Palace, built in 1478 by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, is the entrance to the first courtyard. Originally it was built on a rectangular plan, a two-storey symmetrical structure with a vaulted section between the exterior and interior sides. This section recalls the monumental portals of medieval castles; the two niches on either side are reminiscent of Seljuk structures.

The upper floor (royal lodge) was used by the sultan to observe various ceremonies and pageants. Inscribed in marble on the interior and exterior facades, the Koranic verses, the imperial signature (tuğra) of Sultan Abdülaziz I and an Arabic inscription signed by Ali b. Yahya es Sufi are dated 1478.

ALAY MEYDANI

The First Courtyard (I. Avlu or Alay Meydanı " Parade Court ") spans Seraglio Point and is surrounded by high walls. This First Courtyard functioned as an outer precinct or park and is the largest of all the courtyards of the palace. The steep slopes leading towards the sea had already been terraced under Byzantine rule.

The First Courtyard contained purely functional structures and some royal ones, many of which do not exist today. The structures that remain are the former Imperial Mint (Darphane-i Âmire, constructed in 1727), the church of Hagia Irene and various fountains. The Byzantine church of Hagia Irene was never destroyed by the conquering Ottomans and survived by being used as a storehouse and imperial armoury.

This court was also known as the Court of the Janissaries or the Parade Court. Visitors entering the palace would follow the path towards the Gate of Salutation and the Second Courtyard of the palace. Court officials and janissaries would line the path dressed in their best garbs and waiting. Visitors had to dismount from the horses between the First and the Second Courtyard.

The first (outer) courtyard called the Birun is the largest of the three. The Ottoman sultans passed through this gate with great pomp when they went out on a campaign and on their return, as well as when going to Friday prayers and for ceremonies. This courtyard was also used as a waiting area preceding important events such as the receiving of foreign ambassadors, Janissaries, servants and horses. This was the only section of the Palace open to the public.

SERVICE STRUCTURES COMPRISED BY I. COURTYARD

On the left hand side, there was wood-warehouse which supplies for palace and association of wickerwork seller and buyers. The parts consist of Turkish baths, wards, workshops and stables; have not been able to survive to our day. Presently, on the place of all these structures, Drugstore Building (Eczane Binası) is being used as housing for The Ministry Of Culture employees.

Hagia Eirene Church which is used as Cebehane after the Fatih era, later period of these above-mentioned buildings; is one of the rare buildings to survive. All these survived structures leaning towards Tiled Pavilion, beginning from the edge of Cebehane have reached our day through complete alterations.

17.786 square meters range of the royal mint survived to our day, chief management of mint, stamp press house head office, building survey and monuments head office with conservation and restoration head laboratories management office are partly using these structures. The structures coming after Koz Bekçileri door and situated opposite the Archeology Museum, is rent from Ministry of Tourism by History Foundation and being used by the foundation.

At the end of the mint buildings’ row, it is known that there used to be a building belonging to a constitution called Kız Bekçileri (Guards) or Koz Bekçileri. And the door on the avenue where the Bekçiler Ocağı is situated is known as Gate of Koz Bekçileri.

After its entrance through Bab-ı Hümayun, at right hand side; Enderun Hastahanesi , then through the way to Marmara side structures of the palace and gardens; Dizme or Dizme Kapısı, Hasfırın, Dolap Ocağı were situated in turn. As you get closer to the entrance of the door, one can see the Cellat Çeşmesi (Fountain of The Executioner) which dates back to 16th century, was moved to this side wall of the square by the Sultan Abdülhamit II (1876-1909).

At the left hand side of the avenue, at the part of the yard near to the Bab-üs Selam (Gate of Salutation); there used to be a octagon manor-house shaped structure. The building which has a conical roof is known as Tower of Kağıt Emini Kulesi or Deavi Kasrı. One of the Kubbealtı viziers, coming there everyday, was collecting the applications of the civils, listens to the suitors and announce the subject to the council of the state. Presently, almost at the same place on which this structure used to be situated, the tea garden.

THE FOUNTAIN OF THE EXECUTIONER

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The Fountain of the Executioner (Cellat Çeşmesi) is where the executioner purportedly washed his hands and sword after a decapitation, although there is disagreement if this is indeed that particular fountain. It is located on the right side when facing the Gate of Salutation from the First Courtyard.

EXTERIOR GUARD POST BUILDING

GPS : 41°00'33.6"N 28°58'52.2"E / 41.009333, 28.981167

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The "Exterior Guard Post" building located in the 1st Yard of Topkapı Palace and the Imperial Walls, which were had built by Sultan Mehmed II, the Conqueror, in the 15th century, is situated between Saint Irene and the Imperial Walls. The front yard of the premises faces the 1st Yard of the Palace. The backyard of the guard post embraces the ruins of Saint Samson Hospital and old people's home, which had been built during the Byzantine era, and the excavation works of which started in 1947.

The Exterior Guard Post Building is located on the southwest of Saint Irene, between the ancient church and the walls inside the yard, which is accessible through the Imperial Gate inside Topkapı Palace. On the northwest of the structure are some ruins, which are located between the ancient church and the walls and under the ground level, and which are dated to the Byzantine era and are believed to belong to Sampson Xenodochion and the cisterns extending toward the southeast direction. The structure, which was initially used as the exterior guard post for Topkapı, has been used as as accommodation facility for the staff in the near past.

Even though people had lived in shanty housing structures of suspended ceilings and partitions built in the premises and even inside the building as well as the yard, where the archaeological ruins from the Byzantine were located, for a long time; the Minister of Culture and Tourism, immediately intervened the situation, which was definitely not suitable especially on a path way visible by thousands of visitors of Topkapı Palace Museum, and decided the "Exterior Guard Post" and the surrounding structures to be restored, arranged and made available for public service.

KARAKOL RESTAURANT

Karakol Restaurant, which serves as an A La carte Restaurant and Café in two halls, one being for the summer and another one being for winter, is to organize and host business meetings, dinner receptions and private receptions. Karakol Restaurant, which offers café - bar and restaurant services at any time of the day, hosts its distinguished guests in a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere and entertains its guests with special tastes at one of the most favorite venues of Istanbul.

IMPERIAL MINT

GPS : 41°00'35.6"N 28°58'48.3"E / 41.009889, 28.980083

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The structures that remain are the former Imperial Mint (Darphane-i Âmire) constructed in 1727. The Imperial Mint is situated in the most frequented part of the historic peninsula of Istanbul which still bears the tangible evidence of the three empires for which it has served as a seat throughout centuries. One of its two entrances is from the first courtyard of the Topkapı Palace; the Ottoman Palace presently used as a museum exhibiting the splendors of an era.

The historic mint buildings have 5 indoor rooms and 3 outdoor spaces available for meetings, with a total area of 17,000 sqm, and other ancillary spaces for reception, cloakroom, various preparations, kitchen and service purposes. Equipment includes slide and video projector, overhead projector, screen, sound system, TV-video, and lighting system. Security services are provided by the foundation. If desired, outside catering services are permitted.

This entrance is next to St. Irene, one of the most significant Byzantine churches, now serving as a museum and housing several of the concerts during the Istanbul International Music Festival each year. The other entrance faces the Archaeological Museum, a holder of a European Council Award. Within minutes of walking distance are St. Sophia and the Blue Mosque, the monuments of world wide renown, also the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art and the Yerebatan Cistern. In short, the Imperial Mint is located in the part of the city, which has a unique place in its cultural and recreational life. In other words, it is readily accessible for people who would really want to come.

The establishment in charge of mintage in Ottoman Empire is called "darphane" and the "darphane" has to be located close to the palace. The former "darphane" was located in Beyazıt in the building of Simkeşhane opposite of todays Istanbul University campus, the fromer Old Palace of the Ottoman empire. After the construcyion of the New Palace, the Topkapı Palace the mintage was also moved here. The structure we see today was build in 1726 over a land of 17 decars. Apart of minting gold or silver coins, the silver or golden goods and jewellery used in the palace were also made here.  T

The structures that remain are the former Imperial Mint (Darphane-i Âmire) constructed in 1727. The Imperial Mint is situated in the most frequented part of the historic peninsula of Istanbul which still bears the tangible evidence of the three empires for which it has served as a seat throughout centuries. One of its two entrances is from the first courtyard of the Topkapı Palace; the Ottoman Palace presently used as a museum exhibiting the splendors of an era.

Coin and official seals of the Republic of Turkey were minted here until 1967, and the Official Stamp Printing office is still housed here.

The Darphane-i Amire, whose essential function was minting coins and providing silver, gold, and copper to do this, gained importance with the closing of the provincial mints toward the second half of the 17th century, and became prominent in the Ottoman financial organisation as of the second half the 18th century, starting to become effective in the management of public revenues and expenditures just like the state treasury, and taking over new respon­sibilities and authority for the provision of war expenditures.

It has been determined that at this stage new resources were introduced, management of some revenues was turned over to the Mint and that it became the most important financial body of the state in the early 19th century. The Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives and the Topkapi Palace Museum Archives contain numerous documents and records on this period.

In March 1995 the buildings were allocated to the History Foundation for a period of 49 years, first to be utilized as the venue for the Habitat exhibitions and afterwards to be restored and converted into the Istanbul Museum. The History Foundation's two major exhibitions were opened in honour of the United Nations June Conference on Housing and Settlement (Habitat II): "Istanbul - World City" and "Housing and Settlement in Anatolia". he structures today are used for artistic activities.

Meeting facilities
The historic mint buildings have 5 indoor rooms and 3 outdoor spaces available for meetings, with a total area of 17,000 sqm, and other ancillary spaces for reception, cloakroom, various preparations, kitchen and service purposes. Equipment includes slide and video projector, overhead projector, screen, sound system, TV-video, and lighting system. Security services are provided by the foundation. If desired, outside catering services are permitted.

HAGIA IRENE CHURCH

GPS : 41°00'34.1"N 28°58'52.8"E / 41.009472, 28.981333

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The church was not converted into a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul. Few changes were made to the interior and exterior and it was used as the Cebehane (weapons depot). Two restored marble inscription tablets adorn the entry portico that was added by Sultan Ahmet III. One of these was restored in 1726 by Darü’l-Esliha and the weapons within arranged, so that the church had clearly been turned into a weapons museum.

The other inscription, dated 1744 during the reign of Sultan Mahmud I, indicates it was turned into the weapons depot again after its restoration. In the 19th Century, the weapons depot was named the “Harbiye Ambarı” (war academy depot). In 1846, on the initiative of Tophane Müşiri (Artillery Commander in Chief) Fethi Ahmed Pasha, the contents were organized into two sections and the building officially named the Museum of Early Munitions and Artifacts. Later it was used again as a depot. In the years 1908-40 it served as the Military Museum.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Topkapı Palace Museum Directorate

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : topkapisarayimuzesi@kultur.gov.tr
Phone : +90 212 512 0480
Fax : +90 212 526 9840

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2017, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.

TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'31.0"N 28°58'53.3"E / 41.008612, 28.981477



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The Topkapı Palace (Turkish: Topkapı Sarayı) is a palace in Istanbul, Turkey, which was the official and primary residence in the city of the Ottoman Sultans, from 1465 to 1853. The palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments and is a major tourist attraction today. The name directly translates as "Cannongate Palace", from the palace being named after a nearby, now lost gate.

Topkapı Palace was home to all the Ottoman Sultans until the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid I (1839-1860), a period of nearly four centuries. The order for the construction of the Topkapı Palace on the Seraglio Point overlooking both Marmara and Bosphorus was given by Sultan Mehmed II after the conquest of Constantinapolis in 1453. The place was then an ancient olive grove. The final form of the first palace covered an area 700.000 m2 area during the foundation years has currently 80.000 m2 area and was enclosed with fortified walls 1400 meters in length.

Topkapı Palace constructed by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, (the Conqueror) in 1478 has been the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans and center of State Administration around 380 years until the construction of Dolmabahçe Palace by Sultan Abdülmecid. The main portal, the Bab-i Humayun, was suited next to the mosque of Ayasofya (Haghia Sophia Church), and this led a series of four courts surrounded by various structures. The courts, chambers, pavilions and other sections can be viewed at the floor plan of Topkapı Palace.

The walls were pierced by a number of gates, namely the Otluk gate, the Demir gate and the Imperial gate (Bab-i Humayun), and a number of minor angled gates between them. After the reign of Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, the palace grew steadily to form a city like complex of buildings and annexes, including a shore palace known as the Topkapı shore palace, as it was situated near the cannon gate "Topkapı" of the ancient walls of Istanbul. When the shore palace was burned down in 1863, it lent its name to the great complex we now know as Topkapı Palace.

Topkapı Palace gradually lost its importance at the end of the 17th century, as the Sultans preferred to spend more time in their new palaces along the Bosporus. In 1853, Sultan Abdül Mecid I decided to move the court to the newly built Dolmabahçe Palace, the first European-style palace in the city. Some functions, such as the imperial treasury, the library, mosque and mint, were retained though.

Topkapı Palace was evacuated by the accommodation of the Palace inhabitants in Dolmabahçe, Yıldız and in other palaces. Upon abandoning by the Sultans, Topkapı Palace where many officials resided had also never lost its importance. The palace was repaired from time to time. A special attention was taken for the annual maintenance of Mukaddes Emanetler Dairesi (Sacred Safekeeping Rooms) visited by the sultan and his family during Ramadan.

TRANSFORM TO MUSEUM

The opening of Topkapı Palace for visits as museum happened firstly in the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-1861). The belongings within Topkapı Palace Treasury was shown to the contemporary English ambassador. Later on, it has become a tradition to show the antics within the Topkapı Palace Treasury to the foreigners and during the era of Sultan Abdülaziz (1861-1876), showrooms are made in French style, and these antics are started to be shown to foreigners in these showrooms within Treasury.

During the period when Sultan Abdülhamid II was dethroned (1876-1909), it was thought to open the Treasury Room to public visits on Sundays and Tuesdays, yet it never realized.

After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1921, Topkapı Palace was transformed by government decree on April 3, 1924 into a museum of the imperial era. The Topkapı Palace Museum is under the administration of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public today. The complex is guarded by officials of the ministry as well as armed guards of the Turkish military.

Upon the performance of small repairs and taking some administrative cautions in 1924, Topkapı Palace was opened to service as a Museum on October 9, 1924. The sections opened to visit at that time were Kubbealtı, Arz Odası, Mecidiye Köşkü (Pavilion Mecidiye), Hekimbaşı Odası (Room of Chief Doctor), Mustafa Paşa Köşkü (Pavilion Mustafa Pasha) and Bağdad Köşkü (Pavilion Baghdad).

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST

Topkapı Palace is listed among those monuments belonging to the historic areas of Istanbul, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. The palace is full of examples of Ottoman architecture and also contains large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as a display of Ottoman treasure and jewelry.

SITE

Byzantine remains in the Second Courtyard.The palace complex is located on the Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu), a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara, with the Bosphorus in plain sight from many points of the palace. The site is hilly and one of the highest points close to the sea. During Greek and Byzantine times, the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Byzantion stood here.

There is an underground Byzantine cistern, located in the Second Courtyard, which was used throughout Ottoman times, as well as remains of a small church, the so-called Palace Basilica on the acropolis have also been excavated in modern times. The nearby Church of Hagia Eirene, though located in the First Courtyard, is not considered a part of the old Byzantine acropolis.

INITIAL CONSTRUCTION

Initial construction started in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. The palace is a complex made up of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At the height of its existence as a royal residence, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people, formerly covering a larger area with a long shoreline. The complex has been expanded over the centuries, with many renovations such as after the 1509 earthquake and 1665 fire.

After the Ottoman conquest and the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II found the imperial Byzantine Great Palace of Constantinople largely in ruins. The Ottoman court initially set itself up in the Old Palace (Eski Saray), today the site of Istanbul University. The Sultan then searched for a better location and chose the old Byzantine acropolis, ordering the construction of a new palace in 1459. It was originally called the New Palace (Yeni Saray) to distinguish it from the previous residence. It received the name "Topkapı" in the 19th century, after a (now lost) Topkapı Gate and shore pavilion.

LAYOUT

Sultan Mehmed II established the basic layout of the palace. The highest point of the promontory he used for his private quarters and innermost buildings. From the innermost core various building and pavilions surrounded it and grew down the promontory towards the shore of the Bosphorus. The whole complex was surrounded by high walls, some of which dated backto the Byzantine acropolis. This basic layout governed the pattern of future renovations and extensions. The fifth courtyard was in reality the most outer rim of the palace grounds bordering the sea.

Access to these courtyards was restricted by high walls and controlled through gates. Apart from the four to five main courtyards, various other mid-sized to small courtyards exist throughout the complex. The total size of the complex varies from around 592,600 square meters to 700,000 square meters, depending on which parts are measured. Accounts differ as to when construction of the inner core of the palace started and was finished. Kritovolous gives the dates 1459-1465, other sources suggest a finishing date in the late 1460s.

Contrary to other royal residences which had strict master plans, such as Schönbrunn Palace or the Palace of Versailles, Topkapı Palace developed over the course of centuries, with various sultans adding and changing various structures and elements. The resulting asymmetry is the result of this erratic growth and change over time, although the main layout by Mehmed II as still preserved.

Most of the changes occurred during the reign of Sultan Suleyman from 1520-1560. With the rapid expansion of the Ottoman Empire, Suleyman wanted the growing power and glory to be reflected in his residence. New buildings were constructed or enlargened, The chief architect responsible in that period was the Persian Alaüddin, also known as Acem Ali. He was also responsible for the expansion of the Harem.

In 1574 a great fire destroyed the kitchens. Sinan was entrusted by Sultan Selim II to rebuilt the destroyed parts expanded them, as well as the Harem, baths, the Privy Chamber and various shoreline pavilions. By the end of the 16th century the palace acquired its present appearance. The palace is an extensive complex with an assortment of various low buildings constructed around courtyards, interconnected with galleries and passages, rather than a single monolithic structure.

Almost none of the buildings are higher than two storeys. Interspersed are trees, gardens and water fountains, to give a refreshing feeling to the inhabitants and provide places where they could repose. The buildings enclosed the courtyards, and life revolved around them. Doors and windows faced towards the courtyard, in order to create an open atmosphere for the inhabitants as well as provide for cool air during hot summers.

The palace compound when seen from a birds-eye view has the shape of a rough rectangle, divided into four main courtyards and the harem. The main axis is from south to north, the outermost (first) courtyard starting at the south with each successive courtyard leading up north. The first courtyard was the one that was most accessible, while the innermost (fourth) courtyard and the harem were the most inaccessible, being the sole private domain of the sultan.

FUNCTION

Topkapı Palace was the main residence of the sultan and his court. It was initially the seat of government as well as the imperial residence. Even though access was strictly regulated, inhabitants of the palace rarely had to venture out since the palace functioned almost as an autonomous entity, a city within a city. Audience and consultation chambers and areas served for the political workings of the empire.

For the residents and visitors, the palace had its own water supply through underground cisterns and the great kitchens provided for nourishment on a daily basis. Dormitories, gardens, libraries, schools, even mosques were at the service of the court. A strict court ceremonial codified daily life, in order to ensure imperial seclusion from the rest of world. The principle of imperial seclusion is a tradition that was probably continued from the Byzantine court.

It was codified by Sultan Mehmed II in 1477 and 1481 in the Kanunname Code, which regulated the rank order of court officials, the administrative hierarchy, and protocol matters. This principle of increased seclusion over time was reflected in the construction style and arrangements of various halls and buildings. The architects had to ensure that even within the palace, the sultan and his family could enjoy a maximum of privacy and discretion, making use of grilled windows and building secret passageways.

OUTER GARDEN

GPS : 41°00'38.0"N 28°58'43.4"E / 41.010545, 28.978723

Surrounding the whole complex of the First to the Fourth Courtyard are the outer palace garden, some parts towards the sea also known as the Fifth Place. Located next to the First Courtyard towards the city lies Gülhane Park, the old imperial rose garden, today a public park.

Mehmed II also had three pavilions, or kiosks, constructed, of which only the Tiled Kiosk (Çinili Köşkü) has survived. The Tiled Pavilion dates to around 1473 and houses the Islamic ceramics collection of the Istanbul Archaeology Museums.

Many of the trees in the Topkapı Palace are remarkable since most of them fell victim to a fungus that completely hollowed the trunk out over the centuries, even though the trees still survive until today and are standing. In other cases, two trees of a different kind have grown and fused together, such as a fig tree that grew in the hollow of a tree and effectively fused together. This phenomenon can be seen in the Second Courtyard.

BASKETMAKER'S PAVILION

GPS : 41°01'00.0"N 28°58'54.0"E / 41.016667, 28.981667

The southern and western sides border the large former imperial flower park, today Gülhane Park. Surrounding the palace compound on the southern and eastern side is the Sea of Marmara. Various related buildings such as small summer palaces (kasrı), pavilions, kiosks (köşkü) and other structures for royal pleasures and functions formerly existed at the shore in area also known as the Fifth Place.

But have since disappeared over the course of time due to neglect and the construction of the shoreline railroad in the 19th century. However, the last remaining seashore structure of the outer limits that still exists today is the Basketmakers' Kiosk, constructed in 1592 by Sultan Murad III. Thus the total area size of Topkapı Palace was in fact much larger than what it appears today.

CEREMONIAL PAVILION (ALAY KÖŞKÜ)

GPS : 41°00'39.5"N 28°58'41.8"E / 41.010972, 28.978278

In the year 1820; was built by Sultan Mahmut II. (1808-1839). Alay Köşkü, is made built for the Sultan and high officers of the state to be able to watch the parades. On the window girdles by the main road, Hattat Mustafa İzzet Efendi’s verse inscription applied on black stone with gold-printed metallic letters can be observed. And at the opposite, there is Bab-ı Ali Gate (Gate of State) where the grand vizier executes government works. But at the opposite to the Bab-ı Ali Kapısı; Alay Köşkü, reflects the hierarchy in architecture also with its two floors against one floor of the Bab-ı Ali Gate.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Topkapı Palace Museum Directorate

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : topkapisarayimuzesi@kultur.gov.tr
Phone : +90 212 512 0480
Fax : +90 212 526 9840

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2017, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.