and... The Topkapi Palace & Harem

 History

Topkapi Palace was not only the residence of the Ottoman sultans, but also the administrative and educational center of the state. Initially constructed between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, and expanded upon and altered many times throughout its long history, the palace served as the home of the Ottoman sultans and their court until the middle of the 19th century. In the early 1850s, the palace became inadequate to the requirements of state ceremonies and protocol, and so the sultans moved to Dolmabahçe Palace, located on the Bosphorus. But despite this move, the royal treasure, the Holy Relics of the Prophet Muhammad, and the imperial archives continued to be preserved at Topkapi, and—since the palace was the ancestral residence of the Ottoman dynasty as well as the place where the Holy Relics were preserved—Topkapý continued to play host to certain state ceremonies. Following the abolishment of the Ottoman monarchy in 1922, Topkapi Palace was converted into a museum on 3 April 1924, on the order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

topkapi palace plan

After the conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II (r. 1444–46, 1451–81) had a palace built in what is modern-day Istanbul’s Beyazýt district, on the spot where the University of Istanbul stands today; this first palace subsequently became known as the Old Palace (Eski Saray). Following the construction of the Old Palace, Mehmed II then had the Tiled Kiosk (Çinili Köþk) built, followed by Topkapý Palace itself, to which the court relocated when construction was complete. Mehmed called this place the New Palace (Sarây-ý Cedîd). The palace received its current name when Sultan Mahmud I (r. 1730–54) had a large wooden palace constructed near the city’s Byzantine walls, in front of which were placed several ceremonial cannons; this seaside palace was named the Cannon Gate Palace by the Sea (Topkapusu Sâhil Sarâyý), and, when this palace was destroyed in a fire, its name was transferred to Mehmed II’s New Palace.

Topkapi Palace, which developed and grew over the centuries, had a design that itself played an important role in Ottoman governmental philosophy and in the relations between the palace and its subjects. When Topkapi was first built, its plan was influenced by the splendor of the Edirne Palace located on the Tunca River, which had been constructed by Mehmed II’s father, Sultan Murad II (r. 1421–44, 1446–51) but very little of which survives today. The basic design of the palace is centered on various courtyards and gardens, around which are arranged offices devoted to state business, the buildings and pavilions serving as the residence of the sovereign, and the buildings set aside for the court employees who lived in the palace.

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Imperial Gate

This gate, built as the main entrance on the palace’s Hagia Sophia side in the time of Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror), bears above it an inscription in Arabic by `Ali ibn Yahya as-Sufi, which reads as follows: “By the grace and assent of God and with the aim of establishing peace and tranquility, this auspicious citadel was built and erected in the blessèd month of Ramadan in the year 883 [November–December 1478] at the command of the son of Sultan Murad, son of Sultan Mehmed Khan, the sultan of the lands and the emperor of the seas, the shadow of God extending over men and djinn, the deputy of God in the East and in the West, the champion of the water and the land, the conqueror of Constantinople and father of that conquest Sultan Mehmed, may God make his reign eternal and exalt his abode above that of the highest stars in the firmament.”

Parade Grounds

The First Courtyard is reached through the Imperial Gate. This courtyard, where various ceremonies and processions were held, was the only part of the palace open to the public. The De`âvî Pavilion, of which only the foundation has survived to the present day, was located near the Gate of Salutation (Bâbü’s-Selâm or “Middle Gate”) and was where the public conveyed their written petitions to the palace.
On the left side of the courtyard stand the church of Hagia Eirene (Aya Irini) and the Royal Mint (Darphâne-i Âmire). It was also here that the Firewood Storehouse, the Wickerworkers’ Headquarters, and the Patriarchate were located; the remains of the latter can be seen behind the administrative building and sentry station, built at the end of the 19th century. On the right side of the courtyard stood the Ministry of Finance; the Palace Hospital;bakeries producing bread and simit for the palace; the Mosque of the Royal Bakery; and employees’ residences. There was also a water tower that contained a fountain and was built in the time of Sultan Mahmud II (r. 1808–39). One of the most interesting structures remaining in the First Courtyard is the Executioners’ Fountain, which can be seen on the right of the Gate of Salutation; here, purportedly, executioners would wash their hands following an execution. It was also in this area of the courtyard that the palace woodsheds were located.
In this courtyard, there are two small gates opening onto the Royal Garden: on the Golden Horn side is the Kozbekçileri Gate; on the Sea of Marmara side is the Gate of the Boot. The most important and the oldest structure in the courtyard is the Byzantine church of Hagia Eirene, built in the 6th century to serve as the church for the Patriarchate. Following the construction of Topkapý Palace, Hagia Eirene was used as an armory. Later, during the time of Fethi Ahmed Pasha (1802–58), it was converted into the Archaeology Museum, serving in this capacity until 1894, when the Archaeology Museum was moved to the building it currently occupies and Hagia Eirene became a military museum.
The palace workshops located near the church reflect a tradition that originated in the Roman Empire and was continued under the Ottomans. In these workshops, fine crafts such as carpentry, leather working, bookbinding, and manuscript illumination were carried out; it was also here that gifts to be sent to foreign states were prepared. When the court moved out of Topkapý Palace in the 19th century, the workshops were converted into the Royal Mint, where imperial coins were pressed.

Council Square
The Gate of Salutation, also known as the Middle Gate (Orta Kapý) leads into the palace proper; with its two grand towers, it served as a symbol of the pomp and majesty of the Ottoman state, and has since become an icon for the whole of Topkapý Palace as well. Built during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II, the Gate of Salutation subsequently underwent numerous renovations in the 16th and 17th centuries. Only the sultan was allowed to pass through the Gate of Salutation on horseback; the grand vizier and all other state officials were required to dismount before entering. However, the women of the palace were allowed to go through the gate in royal carriages.
The Gate of Salutation’s two towers were constructed in the time of Sultan Suleiman I (r. 1520–66), known in English as Suleiman the Magnificent and in Turkish as Suleiman the Lawgiver (Kanûnî). In one of these towers was the room where the Chief Gatekeeper would receive foreign ambassadors until they were granted permission to enter the palace. Currently, the museum visit begins at the Gate of Salutation.
The Second Courtyard, also known as the Council Square (Dîvân Meydaný), was laid out in the 1460s, shortly after Sultan Mehmed II had conquered the city. It served as an official representation of the Ottoman state, being a ceremonial grounds for state governance: here were held the ceremonies of royal enthronement (cülûs-ý hümâyûn), formal holiday festivities, the reception of ambassadors, and the stipend paid to the sultan’s household soldiers (`ulûfe dîvâný), among them the Janissary corps. On the right side of the courtyard, behind the portico, are located the palace kitchens, while on the left side stand the Tower of Justice and the Domed Chamber (Kubbealtý); the latter is where meetings of the Imperial Council (Dîvân-ý Hümâyûn) were held. Near the Domed Chamber stands the External Treasury, which currently houses the museum’s weapons collection. In this corner of the courtyard the Carriage Gate to the Harem apartments can also be seen, while on the lower level, behind the colonnade, the Halberdiers’ Barracks and the courtyard of the Royal Stables are visible.

Enderun Courtyard
The Inner Palace Courtyard is like the keep of a castle: when the gates to this courtyard surrounded by strong structures are shut, entry is virtually impossible. The courtyard, whose space is occupied largely by dormitories and barracks, covers an area of approximately nine dönüm, with one dönüm equaling roughly 920 square meters.

Upon entering the courtyard from the Gate of Felicity, the first building one sees is the Audience Chamber (`Arz Odası). Located immediately behind the Audience Chamber is the Library of Sultan Ahmed III. On the right side of the courtyard are the Inner Palace School (Enderûn Mektebi), the Campaigners’ Barracks, the Pavilion of the Conqueror (Fâtih Köşkü), and the remains of a hammam dating to the time of Sultan Selim II (r. 1566–74). The Rehearsal Chamber (Meşkhâne), where music was taught, once stood before the Campaigners’ Barracks, but has not survived to the present. On the left side of the Inner Palace Courtyard are the four-domed Privy Room (Has Oda), which houses the Holy Mantle of the Prophet (Hırka-i Sa`âdet) and other holy relics; the Privy Room Dormitory; and the Mosque of the Aghas of the Inner Palace. On the two sides of the Gate of Felicity are located the Greater and the Lesser Chambers of the Inner Palace, the White Eunuchs’ Dormitory, and the Apiary, while opposite the gate across the courtyard are the Treasury of the Chamberlain, the Dormitory of the Treasury, and the Butlers’ Dormitory.

Sofa-i Hümayun
The area onto which the double-columned portico of the Privy Room opens is the terrace known as the Royal Hall or the Marble Hall. This space, made up of a flower garden and a marble terrace with a pool, is one of the favorite sites in Topkapý Palace. The pool, which contains a jet of water and is located in front of the portico, was once larger, but construction in the 17th century by Sultan Murad IV (r. 1623–40) and Sultan Ibrahim I (r. 1640–48) resulted in the pool’s being made more narrow and the terrace’s being widened in the direction of the Golden Horn. In the Fourth Courtyard are found the Circumcision Chamber, the Iftar Gazebo, the Yerevan Pavilion, and the Baghdad Pavilion.
From this courtyard, one descends a three-meter long staircase to the Royal Hall, where the Pavilion Hall and the Tower of the Chief Physician are located, and which is also a garden with tulips and other flowers. The lowest terrace in this direction, which is toward the Marmara Sea, contains the Mecidiye Pavilion, the Garment Room, and the Mosque of the Hall.

Harem
The word “harem” is a noun derived from the Arabic verb harama—meaning “to prohibit, forbid, or make unlawful”—and means “that which is forbidden” or “that which is kept safe”. At Topkapý Palace, the Harem Apartments were where the sultans lived together with their families. Reflecting architectural styles ranging from the 16th century to the early 19th century, the entire complex is of the greatest importance in terms of architectural history. In this sense, the Topkapý Palace Harem Apartments can be said to take pride of place among all the similar harems that have survived in the palaces of the Islamic world. The Harem was initially established within the Second Courtyard and above the palace’s back gardens and expanded greatly over the centuries. The apartments were secluded with great care, by means of high walls, from the more public courtyards and sections of the palace where government business was conducted.

Soon after Topkapi Palace was constructed, the Old Palace—located in the Bayezid neighborhood of Istanbul—began to be used solely as the harem, while Topkapý Palace became the seat of government and of public functions, which together were called selamlýk. However, there are also some sources stating that, during this same period, a small harem—the Girls’ Palace (Sarây-i Duhterân)—was also built beside the palace’s Golden Road. The Harem developed in four stages, with perhaps the most intense period of construction and organization occurring when Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66) moved into the Topkapý Palace harem together with his Haseki (“favorite”) Hürrem Sultan—known as Roxelana in the West—and his family; this period continued until the 18th century.

The Harem contains more than 300 rooms, nine hammams, two mosques, a hospital, dormitories, and a laundry. The complex as it exists today was shaped over the course of time, through numerous restorations and expansions. The basic plan of the Harem consists of consecutive courtyards surrounded by and interspersed with living quarters, rooms, pavilions, and service buildings.

Videos
Topkapi Palace Tour Part I

                                                                             Topkapi Palace Tour Part II

"Mehter" in Topkapi Palace Part I

                                                                            "Mehter" in Topkapi Palace Part II

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