TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM / BLESSED MANTLE

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'49.0"N 28°59'04.3"E / 41.013617, 28.984535

Third Courtyard



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The Chamber of the Blessed Mantle houses the latticed silver canopy under which the Blessed Mantle and the Holy Banner of the Prophet are kept in their golden chests. The Blessed Mantle, also known as the Holy Mantle, according to tradition was given by the prophet Muhammad to the poet Kâab bin Züheyr. The poets poem Kasida-ı Burda praising the prophet decorate the Room of the Blessed Mantle. Although many legends were spun about the appearance of the mantle, it is almost two yards long and made of black wool lined with a cream-coloured fabric.

The Pavilion of the Holy Mantle was built on the orders of Sultan Mehmed, the Conqueror. This pavilion is also known as Has Oda (Hall of the Priory Chamber) and is located in the palace's third courtyard. The importance of the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle is that it contains belongings of the Prophet Mohammed, some of the Caliphs and Companions. Some of these were brought from Egypt by Yavuz Sultan Selim I and others, collected through various channels, are all placed in this Pavilion of the Topkapı Palace.

Hırka-i Saadet, is wide armed coat made of goat hair, it belongs to Mohammed the Prophet, and Hırka-i Saadet Room is the place where the coat is preserved in Topkapı Palace. After the conquest of Egypt, Sultan Selim I brought the holy coat with the other holy relics brought to Istanbul. Formerly, the coat was preserved in the harem, after Hırka-i Saadet Room was constructed in the Topkapı Palace, it was brought here with the other relics. The keys of the silver chest and the golden drawer was only possessed by the Sultans.

The visit of Hırka-i Saadet, which became a tradition from the period of Sultan Selim I and left by Sultan Abdülmecid, was done in every 15th of Ramadan Month. This ceremony was made by the Sultan, Sadrazam (Grand Vizier), Şeyhülislam (the Minister of Religious Matters) and other high officers. The Sultan used to open the locks, bring out the coat and spreads it to his face and eyes then the others used to do the same thing and the imams and müezzins used to read Koran till the end of the ceremony.

The mantle used to be visited by the sultan and his family and court with a traditional ceremony once a year on the fifteenth day of Ramadan. The kissing of the mantle was not done directly, but a piece of muslin was placed over it. This decorated kerchief was called the Noble Kerchief (destimal-ı şerif) and was provided for each person by the Agha of the Muslin (Tülbent Ağası).

The mantle was kept in a golden box, of which only the sultan had the keys. The box was opened while he intoned the besmele. The mantle was actually wrapped in a number of square pieces of cloth called bohças. In it was another small golden box in which forty bohça were wrapped around the mantle itself. The number forty was considered especially auspicious.

The Agha of the Muslin placed the first kerchief on the mantle and the sultan kissed it, followed by the imperial princes, viziers, officials, male attendants and eunuchs. This was done while Koranic chants filled the chamber. Next to kiss the kerchiefs were the women, who were lead by the Queen Mother, followed by the chief consorts, concubines and daughters of the sultan, as well as the wives of all officials present and female attendants.

A button of the mantle was dipped into rose water. Drops of the rose water were poured into pitchers which were given to important people. This water was called the Water of the Blessed Mantle (Hırka-ı Saadet Suyu) and was supposed to have miracle qualities. After the ceremony, the sultan had the mantle packed back into its forty bohças, the small golden box, the other bohças and then into the large golden box which itself was placed under the silver latticed canopy until next year.

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 / SACRED RELICS COLLECTION

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'49.0"N 28°59'04.3"E / 41.013617, 28.984535

Third Courtyard



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

They are housed in the former private chambers of the sultan, called the Privy Chamber, which are located in the Third Courtyard of the palace. The Privy Chamber houses the Chamber of the Sacred Relics (Kutsal Emanetler Dairesi), which includes the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle. The chamber was constructed by architect Sinan under the reign of Sultan Murad III. It used to house offices of the Sultan. It houses the cloak of the prophet Muhammad, his sword, one tooth, a hair of his beard, his battle sabres, an autographed letter and other relics which are known as the Sacred Trusts.

Several other sacred objects are on display, such as the swords of the first four Caliphs, the staff of Moses, the turban of Joseph and a carpet of the daughter of Mohammed. Even the Sultan and his family were permitted entrance only once a year, on the 15th day of Ramadan, during the time when the palace was a residence. Now any visitor can see these items and many Muslims come on pilgrimage for this purpose.

The Arcade of the Chamber of the Holy Mantle was added in the reign of Sultan Murad III, but was altered when the Circumcision Room was added. This arcade may have been built on the site of the Temple of Poseidon, that was transformed before the 10th century into the Church of St. Menas. The Sacred Relics consist of Islamic religious pieces sent to the Ottoman Sultans at various times dating from the 16th century to the late 19th century.

With the conquest of the Arabic world under Yavuz Sultan Selim I (1517), the Caliphate passed from the vanquished Abbasids to the Ottoman sultans. The Prophet Muhammad’s mantle, which was kept by the last Abbasid Caliph Mutawakkil III, was given to Yavuz Sultan Selim I. The various relics of the prophet, his followers and other items purportedly associated with the prophet were brought to Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, where they remain up to this day.

The Destimal Chamber is the room in which Prophet Abraham’s Pot, Prophet Joseph’s Turban, Prophet Moses’s Staff, Prophet David’s Sword, scrolls belonging to Prophet John and Prophet Muhammad’s footprint are on display.

The Şadırvanlı Sofa is the room where the keys to the Kaaba, the gutters of the Kaaba, the casing of the Black Stone (Hacerü’l-Esved), the Door of Repentance, and the swords of the prophet’s companions are on display.

The Audience Chamber, also known as the House of Petitions (Arzhane) houses a piece from the tooth of the Prophet Muhammad (Dendan-ı Saadet), Hair from the Beard of the Prophet (Sakal-ı Şerif), the Seal of the Prophet Muhammad (Mühr-ü Saadet), an autographed Letter of the Prophet Muhammad (Name-i Saadet) and his swords and bow in their exclusive reliquary made by Ottoman goldsmiths. These are known as the Sacred Trusts (mukkades emanetler). The Holy Koran is being read out around the clock by a mufti.

Amongst the collection is the Mantle (or robe) of the Prophet Mohammed, two of the Prophet's swords, a seal and the Prophet's Holy Standard. There are also four pieces of stone and two of brick with the embedded footprint of the prophet and part of one of his teeth which was broken in the Battle of Uhud.

There are twenty swords preserved in the chambers of the sacred mantle, two of which are presumed to have belonged to the companions of the Prophet. Many o them were reworked in the Palace as c mark of respect for their original owners rendering them works of art, and include the swords of Cafer-i Tayyar. Halid bin Velid, Ammar bin Yasir, Ebu'l Hasene-the scribe of Muhammed, Davut, Ali, Osman, Omer and Ebubekir, which are displayed the chamber with a fountain together with one of the pouches made in. the Palace as a cover for the sacred swords.

During the Ottoman period, a number of early manuscripts, including 139 Korans, one of which was believed to have been in the hands of the Caliph Prophet Osman when he was martyred were kept in the sacred mantle chambers. Among the Korans once preserved here were those inscribed by important calligraphers, including Yakut, Ahmet Karahisari and Shah Mahmud Nişapuri, which are now kept together with the rest of the collection, in the museum library.

Another case in the Arzhan contains the golden cover that encased the stone of the Kaaba and two silver frame: also from Mecca. Thirty-two keys, two lock frames and three locks, one of which is in pieces, are also among the relics. The governor of the Hejaz sent the keys of the Kaaba to Istanbul after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt.

Subsequently, it became customary for keys and locks to be sent by the Ottomans to Mecca bearing the names and dates of each of the sultan and inscribed with quotations from the Koran and later returned. These were iron inlaid with gold and silver or of fin silver and bronze, and were made in the Palace at Istanbul for successive sultans. Among the finest in the collection are those of the Abbasid and Mameluke periods and others made for Ahmet II. Bayezid II. Suleyman I and Abdulaziz.

Here too, one may see the so-called Door of Repentance or Tövbe Kapısı, an iron inlaid door measuring 1.45 x 2.00 m, and golden and gilded silver rainwater spouts taken from the Ka'ba after restoration. The spouts bear the date 1612 and the name of Ahmet I, and measure 2.75 m in length, 25 cm in width and 31 cm in height.

In the same case preserved one of the letters presumably sent by the Prophet to the monarchs of Egypt and Persia, and to the Byzantine emperor, inviting them to convert to Islam It is inscribed in black ink on brownish parchment and flanks a seal thought t have belonged to the Prophet, which was found in Baghdad in the 19th century an brought to Topkapi Palace, where it was preserved in an oval box.

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 / PRIVY CHAMBER (HAS ODA)

Sultanahmet, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'49.0"N 28°59'04.3"E / 41.013617, 28.984535

Third Courtyard



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The Privy Room (Has Oda) was constructed in the Inner Courtyard in the time of Sultan Mehmed II (r. 1451-81) to serve as the private apartments of the sultan, for which purpose it was used until the middle of the 16th century. Prior to their accession to the throne, the sultans would come to this room to pray and receive homage from the Privy Room officials before leaving for the ceremony.

The Privy Chamber (Has Oda) also known as the Chamber of the Mantle of Felicity (Hırka-I Saadet Dairesi)  was built under Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror (1451-1481) in the Enderûn Courtyard as private mansion for the Ottoman Sultans.

It is a two-storey typical palace pavilion with a quad space (four-section) layout. The double space room at the entrance is called the Hall with the Fountain (Şadırvanlı Sofa) due to the marble fountain located under its dome. The other two parts of the four-section venue consist of two domed rooms connected through doors to each other and to the Fountain Hall.

The entrance to the Privy Chamber underwent various modifications under Sultan Ahmet III (1703-1730). The Kelime-i Tevhid (The Word of Unity: Islamic declaration of faith in the oneness of God) dated 1725, written in Celî Sülüs characters (a style of Arabic script with large letters used in writing inscriptions) was the work of Sultan Ahmet III who was a skilled calligrapher.

On both sides of the door we see two more inscriptions in monogram form. On the right side takes place the phrase, “Cihan Meliki Hakan-ı Emced”: “Glorious Khan Sovereign of the Universe” and the sentence on the left side reads, “Şeriat Sâliki Sultan Ahmed”: “Sultan Ahmed Devotee of the Shari’ a” (Islamic canon law).

The first room on the right side after entering through the Fountain Hall is the Arzhane – (Presentations Room) where the Sultan received the Arz Ağaları (the Squires in charge of submissions and/or presentations) and accepted their submissions. The second room located on the corner is the most important section of the building, namely, the Throne Room (Taht Odası) or the actual Privy Chamber (Has Oda).

Yavuz Sultan Selim designated this room for the conservation and protection of the Holy Mantle or Mantle of Felicity (Hırka-i Saadet) - believed to have been worn by the Prophet Mahomet -  he brought back from his Egyptian expedition and ordered significant changes in the organization of the Privy Chamber.  Sultans, who were staying here until the second half of the 16th Century, continued traditionally until the end of the empire, to sit in this room before the ceremony of accession to the throne.

They paid visit to the “Mantle of Felicity” each year, on the 14th and 15th day of the month of Ramadan, within the framework of an official ceremony.  The Privy Chamber was maintained and restored with great care by all successive Sultans out of respect for the sacred relics sheltered therein. Each sultan in his time attached great importance to keeping the place in prime condition. The Privy Chamber has the most originally designed tiles among Sultans’ pavilions, dating from the end of the 16th Century and which fortunately survived up until our present-day.

PETITION CHAMBER

One enters the chambers through the fountain portal or Şadırvan Kapısı - from the Privy Court - or Enderun. An inscription over the portal bears the monogram of Ahmet III and alongside it is inscribed the proclamation of Unicity. Other inscriptions also bearing monograms flank the portal on either side, where one may see decorative tile panels dating from a later restoration.

Left of the entrance, one encounters the facade of the barracks of the Privy Chamber Guards, while just before that lies a well into which the refuse that was swept out of the Chambers of the Relics was dumped. It was also where the marble slab atop which the corpses of deceased sultans were placed for ritual washing before burial was stored. Through the portal one passes first into a porch-like room with a fountain and raised dais area.

This rectangular chamber was used by the chamber guards as a prayer room, whereby it was customary for them to perform ritual ablutions at the fountain and pray on the raised dais. Beyond the Chamber with a Fountain, one encounters on the left side a room known as the Kerchief Chamber or Dest-i Mal Odası. This is a small room decorated with tilework and it dates from the reign of Sultan Murat IV, where kerchiefs given to pilgrims to the sacred relics were kept and in later years printed.

On the right of the room with a fountain is the antechamber to the Chamber of the Sacred Relics, known as the "Petition Chamber" or Arzhane. Here pilgrims waited to be received into the presence of the relics through a fine, late-period door inlaid with mother-of pearl over which an inscription written in jali-thuluth Arabic script of salutation to God's Prophet, Muhammad. The inlaid door was the work of the master inlayer, Sedefkar Vasif.

The door opens into the Chamber of Sacred Relics, decorated with fine 16th century tilework, and in the far left corner stands the gilded silver coffered domicile baldachin set atop the relics. This structure supported on four pillars, was erected for Sultan Murat IV as a throne by the Court Jeweller, Zilli Mehmet, and with the addition of grills over two sides, by Sultan Mahmut II, transformed into an open casket for the sacred relics.

It was during the reign of Sultan Mahmut II that the chamber: underwent considerable restoration am marble cases were added, together with doors, cupboards and hearth in the empir, style. A fountain can be seen under the, portico facing the chambers. Plaque above and between the windows were added during repairs that dates to the reign of Sultan Mehmet V (Reşat) .

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.