IMPERIAL HALL

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

Topkapı Palace Museum / Harem



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

IMPERIAL HALL / HÜNKAR SOFASI

The Imperial Hall (Hünkâr Sofası), also known as the Imperial Sofa, Throne Room Within or Hall of Diversions, is a domed hall in the Harem, believed to have been built in the late 16th century. It has the largest dome in the palace. The hall served as the official reception hall of the Sultan as well as for the entertainment of the Harem. Here the Sultan received his confidants, guests, his mother, his first wife (Hasseki), consorts, and his children. Entertainments, paying of homage during religious festivals, and wedding ceremonies took place here in the presence of the members of the dynasty.

Sultan’s Sofa is the largest place in its dimensions located between Sultan Murad III’s Private Room and hamams. It was concluded from the written sources and panoramic pictures that it was built between 1580-90 with its first shape after Sultan Murad III’s Private Room. It is known that Harem residents, upon Sultan’s ascending to throne and in following days, after wearing the sword ceremonies in tombs in Eyüp, offered their loyalties to Sultan on this sofa, where Harem’s musical entertainments, meetings, congratulation and other ceremonies were also held.

Also, delivering the birth to girls or boys, and celebrations of Sultan’s daughers’, also known as hanım sultan, engagements and marriages were held in this hall. The building with its contemporary look today displays the restorations and modifications throughout the centuries. Sofa went through a significant restoration activities after the 1665 fire. It has survived today with a level that reflects the rococo dominated ornament style after the renewal during Sultan Osman III era (1754-1757).

The name of Osman III stands on the inscription on the entrance door of the hall. The walls are covered with golden gilding and painted wooden cover as well as European tiles (Delf), and fountains were also added. The decorations in different styles from different eras of this place that hosted many entertainments in Harem had created a very impressive environment in which various tastes had come together.

After the Great Harem Fire of 1666, the hall was renovated in the rococo style during the reign of Sultan Osman III. The tile belt surrounding the walls bearing calligraphic inscriptions were riveted with 18th century blue and white Delftware and mirrors of Venetian glass. But the domed arch and pendantives still bear classical paintings dating from the original construction.

In the hall stands the Sultan's throne. The gallery was occupied by the consorts of the Sultan, headed by the Queen Mother. The gilded chairs are a present of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, while the clocks are a gift of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. A pantry, where musical instruments are exhibited and certain other apartments, opens to the Imperial Hall which gives access into the Sultan's private apartments.

A secret door behind a mirror allowed the Sultan a safe passage. One door admits to the Queen Mother’s apartments, another to the Sultan's hammam. The opposite doors lead to the small dining chamber (rebuilt by Ahmed III) and the great bedchamber, while the other admits to a series of ante-chambers, including the room with the fountain (Çeşmeli Sofa), which were all retiled and redecorated in the 17th century.

After the Great Harem Fire of 1666, the hall was renovated in the rococo style during the reign of Sultan Osman III. The tile belt surrounding the walls bearing calligraphic inscriptions were revetted with 18th-century blue-and-white Delftware and mirrors of Venetian glass. But the domed arch and pendantives still bear classical paintings dating from the original construction.

In the hall stands the sultan's throne. The gallery was occupied by the consorts of the sultan, headed by the Queen Mother. The gilded chairs are a present of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, while the clocks are a gift of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. A pantry, where musical instruments are exhibited, opens to the Imperial Hall, which provides access into the sultan's private apartments.

A secret door behind a mirror allowed the sultan a safe passage. One door admits to the Queen Mother’s apartments, another to the sultan's hammam. The opposite doors lead to the small dining chamber (rebuilt by Sultan Ahmed III) and the great bedchamber, while the other admits to a series of ante-chambers, including the room with the fountain (Çeşmeli Sofa), which were all retiled and redecorated in the 17th century.

This domed space in the Harem, where ceremonies and receptions were held, is believed to have been constructed toward the end of the 16th century. Entertainment, weddings and exchange of Bayram felicitations took place in this Hall. The faience inscription on the wall dates from the 18th century revetted with blue and white Delft tiles decorated in the rococo style after the 1665 Harem fire.

The dome, the arches and the pendentives are ornamented with classical patterns traced by brush dating from the beginning of the construction. The Sultan’s Throne and the gallery of the Valide Sultan and Kadinefendis have an imposing aspect. A cellar and the doors of other apartments open on to the Throne Room which is the entrance of the Sultan’s apartments in the Harem.

This Hall which is the largest domed space of the Palace is the most important part of the apartments reserved for the residence of the Sultan, his mother and wives, who had moved into here in the 1580s. This hall, built a few years after the Privy Room of Sultan Murad III in 1579, and whose original character based on the pillared and arched infrastructure, was designed as an open domed hall surmounted by a big dome seated on four suspension arches with a monumental projection at the entrance and façade whose abutment being without windows.

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 2018, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.

CONCUBINES COURTYARD

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

Topkapı Palace Museum / Harem

CONCUBINES



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

Black Chiefs and all women regardless of their status were servants like the palace employees. The training system of concubines were like that of Converts. 16th century sources states that there used to be 2 dormitories for newly recruited concubines in Harem as it is the same at Enderun. The majority of concubines that were recruited between ages 5-16 originated generally Çerkez, as it is also known about the presence of Arabian and African concubines recruited.

In addition, the ages of concubines recruited for various services could be higher. The concubines recruited were first health examined. The new concubines were given new names considering their beauty, attitudes and appearances. The girls taken into the palace were taught Turkish and the etiquette manners. the first period of these girls at Harem was called as inexperience. Later, they used to become concubines, and after that promote to master apprenticeship called as (şakirt), mastership (ustalık) and constant frequenter class within time.

Because the most of concubines are employed for services, they were given to general services such as laundry, hamam heaters, pantry, table, after a short time. The beautiful and smart ones used to be trained by kalfa women about reading-writing, sewing, embroidery, playing music instruments, singing and dancing depending on their skills. The Sultans did not have relations with all concubines that were selected and trained for them, and their departure from the Palace was provided by making them marry with appropriate people.

The highest ranking of the palace women was called as Kadın. The concubines who were called as "for Private Room", Favorite (Gözde) or Prosperity (İkbal) among those the Sultan had relation with used to promoted later to Official wife of Sultan and Head of Wives (Kadın Efendi) after giving birth.

ROLE OF THE CONCUBINES

The Courtyard of the Favourites in the harem of Topkapı PalaceFor the perpetuation of the dynasty and service to the Ottoman Dynasty, beautiful and intelligent girls were brought in from the neighbouring countries to become imperial concubines (Cariyes). The concubines who were introduced into the Harem in their tender age were brought up in the disciplines of the Palace. They were promoted according to their capacities and became kalfas and ustas.

The concubine, with whom the Sultan shared his bed, became a member of the dynasty and rose in rank to attain the status of Gözde (the Favourite) or Kadınefendi (one of the Sultan’s consorts). The highest position herself was the Queen Mother (Valide Sultan), the mother of the Sultan, who herself used to be a concubine of the Sultan’s father and rose to the supreme rank in the Harem. No concubine could leave or enter the premises of the Harem without the explicit permission of the Queen Mother.

The powers of the Queen Mother even extended to questions of life and death of a concubine, with eunuchs directly reporting to her. The concubines either lived in the halls beneath the apartments of the consorts, Queen Mother and the Sultan, or in separate chambers. The consorts, kadınefendi, who had borne children to the sultan and whose number varied between four to eight formed the group who came next in rank to the Queen Mother.

Among those women who lived in their own quarters with their concubines and children "Baş Haseki", the favourite consort who was the mother of the crown prince and three other kadınefendis enjoyed a privileged position in the hierarchy of the harem.

COURTYARD OF THE SULTAN'S CONCORTS AND THE CONCUBINES

The Courtyard of the Sultan's Consorts and the Concubines (Kadın Efendiler Taşlığı / Cariye Taşlığı) was constructed at the same time as the courtyard of the eunuchs in the middle of the 16th century. It underwent restoration after the 1665 fire and is the smallest courtyard of the Harem. The porticoed courtyard is surrounded by baths (Cariye Hamamı), a laundry fountain, coffee kitchen, a laundry, dormitories, the apartments of the Sultan's Chief Consorts and the apartments of the stewardesses (Kalfalar Dairesi).

This area also known as Kadın Efendi or Concubine Stone Courtyard is the smallest courtyard of Harem. This Stone Courtyard can be accessed through a corridor on the left side of guard duty place which lets Harem’s Cümle Gate. This corridor had been formed with the wall that separates Black Chiefs Section on one side, and Masters’ Flat that separates Mother of Sultan Stone courtyard on the other. There are marble counters on one side of corridor. This counter is the place where Black Chiefs put the foot that is prepared at Harem’s kitchen on plates for Harem residents.

As in other Stone Courtyards, two-staired room arrangement that faces Stone Courtyard can also be seen here. On one side of Stone Courtyard where it joins Black Chiefs, there are hamam, hamam külhanı (heater) and pantry. On narrow side, there are kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms. On Haliç side, there is a concubine dormitory with şirvan. Using the stone stairs on the side of this dormitory, one can go down to Harem gardens, concubine dormitories and hospital sections. There are three private flats on two stairs on the Haliç side of Stone Courtyard that belongs to Head of Wives.

CONCUBINE DORMITORIES

There are Concubine Dormitories in the section where the payeli substructure holds Head of Wives and Mother Of Sultan Flats. Concubines could continue their Harem life which they started on the lowest floor on higher floors and higher levels in regards to their abilities and chances, or after completing 8 years, they would become çırak. These dormitories were the places that could respond to the needs daily life with its wooden şirvan, light spaces, bathrooms and ablution places in 17th century when the concubines were the highest in number in Harem.

The three independent tiled apartments with fireplaces overlooking the Golden Horn were the quarters where the consorts of the Sultan lived. These constructions covered the site of the courtyard in the late 16th century. At the entrance to the quarters of the Queen Mother, wall frescoes from the late 18th century depict landscapes, reflecting the western influence.

The entrance to the apartments of the Queen Mother (Valide Sultan Dairesi) was decorated in the 18th century with paintwork depicting panoramic landscape views in the Western European style. The oldest bath of the Harem situated on the courtyard’s left hand side was converted into the baroque style in the mid-18th century.  The wards of the head servants and dormitories of the concubines were located on the upper floor.

FOURTY STAIRS / KIRKMERDİVEN

Using the door between dormitory and Heads of Wives Flat, stairs leads to mezzanine. Mezzanines have been built over this descent system that is called as Fourtystairs (Kırkmerdiven). Using Fourtystairs, Stone Courtyard also called as Hospitals and Concubine Courtyard can be accessed.

On the courtyard’s right hand side we find the ward historically referred to as the “long room”, which was heated with a large stove. The arched doorway next to the long room leads to the Harem hospital through a monumental stairway called the “40 steps”. The staircase, called the "Forty Steps" (Kirkmerdiven), leads to the Hospital of the Harem (Harem Hastanesi), the dormitories of the concubines at the basement of the Harem and Harem Gardens.

PASSAGE OF CONCUBINES

The Passage of Concubines (Cariye Koridoru) leads into the Courtyard of the Sultan's Chief Consorts and Concubines. On the counters along the passage, the eunuchs placed the dishes they brought from the kitchens in the palace.

The access to the section of the Harem where the women lived was provided through the Hallway/Corridor of the Concubines. The dishes prepared in the kitchens were brought here on large trays and placed on the hallway’s counters and racks by the black eunuchs; and after they had left the area, the concubines on duty would then pick up and serve the plates to the residents of the Harem in a hierarchical order according to rank and title.

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 2018, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.