Author: erkan

Topkapi Palace Museum Sections in Sultanahmet Istanbul,

The Aviary:
This is the kitchen where the sultans’ food was prepared.

Section Of Iranian And Italian Brocades:
The paved court and bathhouse of the Ward of the Agas, which was in a rudimentary style rebuilt after a fire in 1856, have been preserved. In the Ward Iran-Ian and Italian brocades are exhibited. In addition musical instruments, sets of Karagoz puppets and a rich collection of European watches and clocks can be seen here. Together with these a valuable collection of Turkish clocks and watches has been gathered together.

Kubbealti (Council chamber):
The organization of the Divan, which played N very important part in the direction of the state, goes very far back. We saw earlier that there existed building for the meetings of the Divan in the days If the Conqueror. The present building was erected dining the reign of Suleyman. The political, military, financial and even judicial affairs of an empire spreading over three continents were regulated by orders, decisions, and firmans originating under the three domes of this building. A golden sphere hanging from the imam dome attests to the fact here was decided the fate of the world. Here the reception of ambassadors took place, and occasionally state banquets were given. The viziers of the Dome numbered from five to nine. It is the addition the Commanders of Rumela and Anatolia, the Defterdar (Finance Minister), the Minister of the Book (Foreign Affairs), attended the meeting of the Divan, which was subject to a great deal of ceremony. After the Conqueror, the sultans followed the deliberations of the Divan from behind a grilled window. This building was restored in different periods of Ottoman history, and having remained in ruin for a long time was finally rebuilt in recent years.
Palace Coaches And Saddles:
The building which houses the palace coaches and saddles today is divided into three sections: The first part is the old palace stable. This six-loofah century building was transformed into dormitories for the Baltaez in the eighteenth century. Still, under it was cut up into a number of rooms for the gardeners and other servants. With time it became dilapidated and was in part burnt down. Having undergone repairs it now houses the coaches of recent times, bridles, stirrups, whips and a number of postchaises.

Imrahor Room (The Master Of The Horse):
The Master of the Horse was an important functionary. The sultans were traditionally fond of horses and frequently came here to watch the thoroughbreds go through their paces. The stables were therefore built with these visits in view and were pro-vided with a coffee hearth and even lavatories. When these were removed the beautiful plasterwork of the period was restored. Subsequently, the building WIIK used under Mahmut II for the game, and under h Aziz for the saddles of the princes.

Istanbul Topkapi Palace Museum Sections,

Picture Gallery:
The pictures exhibited in the three halls on the second floor of the same building are for the most part portraits of Ottoman rulers, of some of the sultanas end princes and of great statesmen of the Empire. There are works of the Italian, French and Spanish schools and also works by Turkish artists. In addition, there is a precious collection of miniatures of Ottoman rulers and personalities by such well-known miniaturists as Sinan Bey, Nigiari, Osman, Naksai, Levni and Abdullah.

Section Of Turkish Velvets And Brocades:
This building was formed by walking in the portico of the Apartment of the Mantle of Felicity and houses an imposing collection of Turkish velvets and brocades from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries, arranged in chronological order. Some of the gold brocades woven in special workshops for the sultans are finer than anything of the sort to be found elsewhere. The colors and the motifs used are endless in variety and show great skill and maturity.

The New Library:
This building, better known as the Mosque of the Akas, probably dates from the time of the Conqueror. A small mosque was added to it later, and it was al-so connected with the mosque of the Harem. When the Museum has founded thousands of books and inscriptions removed from the Kiosk of Revan and Bagdad lay in cases in the Treasury. These were moved to this mosque, in company with the contents of the libraries of Medina, of Mehmet V and of Tiryal Hanim, each of which however is cataloged separately. Works added library after this date from what is k atm ii as the New Collection. There are now 10, 623 manuscripts and 3739 printed books various languages in these collections, many (4 which are incunabula or are rendered, unique Hick. bindings by their miniatures or other illusralimis.

The Sections of Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul,

The Pool:
There are many pools in the Saray grounds but this particular one, situated in front of the Revan and Bagdad Kiosks and of the Apartment of the Mantle of Felicity, is of special note, because of the attractiveness of the jet in the middle and the jets-d’eau on either side.

Circumcision Room:
This room, built in the time of Sultan Ibrahim is very simple in plan, but its marble door frames, the beautiful tile panels of different periods which ornament its walls and its charming wall fountains carved with tulips render it well worth a visit.

Guards’ Treasury:
In this building, which dates from the Conqueror, swords and aigrettes are kept. The Bagdad Kiosk, interior view.

Apartment Of The Mantle Of Felicity:
This building, which is similar to the Hall of Petitions in plan and which is surrounded by a portico, is thought to have been originally constructed in the days of the Conqueror. The extremely valuable tiles on its. walls, however, were placed there during Murat II’s ill The building was restored several times, down the lime of Mahmut II, and the Prophet’s Mantle was moved from the lower story where it was kept, to a building constructed beside the dormitory. In the apartment of the Mantle of Felicity were kept Hilly the Prophet’s mantle, but also his bow, his words, his standard and his epistles, as well as words and other historical relics belonging to certain air disciples. The scabbards of these swords are examples of magnificent workmanship.

Section Of Turkish Embroideries:
This was the old Treasury and assumed its present form in the nineteenth century. The three halls of the I tried. floor house a collection of Turkish embroideries ‘winning with the sixteenth century. The success in color and composition achieved in the embroideries made in the villages illustrated the Turks, innate artistic ability. Nevertheless, the collection also includes articles specially made for the palace and worked in gold thread and colored silks by the best embroiderers of their time: belts, handkerchiefs, gowns, covers, napkins, towels, prayer rugs, pillowcases, turban cloths, moneybags, etc. etc. The second hall contains embroidered leather works, and the third some of the tents found in the palace depots.

The Harem Section of Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul,

THE HAREM
The section of the Harem, which was first founded by the Conqueror, was constantly added to until to-day. It contains some two hundred and fifty rooms divided into various apartments, a few kiosks, two mosques, six bathhouses, special treasuries and even a hanging garden. The main building gives some idea of the architecture and interior decoration, as well as the manner of living, of many periods. It is difficult not to get lost in this labyrinth, in every corner of which Ono is reminded of some historical episode. Below are some of the more important subdivisions:
a) The reception rooms, the eunuchs’ apartment, the school for princes, the chamberlains’ quarters, the chief eunuch’s quarters, a mosque and a hammam.
b) The living quarters, hamam and infirmary of the odalisques and of the head servants.
c) The princess’ quarters.
d) The Valide’s apartments. (The Valide was the mother of the reigning sovereign).
e) The apartments of the bash Kadin, or chief concubine.
f) The apartments of the favorites.
g) The apartments of the heir and the independent building are known as the Cage.
h) The apartments of the Sultan. There is also an interesting hammam, to which various sultans have made additions, which consists of numerous rooms and reception rooms.

WARD OF THE BALTACI OR HALBERDIERS
A unique group, consisting of sleeping quarters, mosque, bathhouse, school, and fountain, all built of wood.

STONE INSCRIPTIONS
Inscriptions carved in marble during various epochs existed in scattered fashion in the cellars and gardens of the Saray. These have been collected into four groups:
a) The Tugras, or monograms, of the sultans, from Osman III., The final period. The Ottoman coat of Imam Iri in this group.
b) Description from kiosks and palaces once situ-dol in 4110 Saray grounds but now no longer in existence.
c) Inscriptions concerning pious foundations made within palace grounds by palace inmates.
d) Inscriptions from fountains built by order of the sultans or members of the imperial household.

Parts of the Sultanahmet Topkapi Palace Museum,

The Enderun Library
Going out from the Audience Chamber the visitor faces a many-domed marble building built by Ahmet III in 1718 in order to house the palace library. Previously on the same spot stood a kiosk with fountains, built by Selim II. The plaster reliefs on the domes and vaults of this building are among the masterpieces of the period. Its walls are decorated with sixteenth-century tiles brought from the Yali of Kara Mustafa Pasha. There are 4787 manuscripts in the library, of which are in ancient Greek and Latin.If those latter are adorned with miniatures and drawings. The majority of the remainder are in Arab-i and many are rare works on history, geography, intoplicine and religious mysticism.

The Enderun School
This building, where many grantrifitteftrIfigh admirals and important statesmen were trained and in whose rooms artists and musicians gained experience, has seen many transformations. It was burnt down in 1857 and restored only within recent years. It is now used for Museum offices. In the vicinity of this building was a small pavilion also used as a classroom. The school of Galata Saray was founded by Bayezit II as an outlet for this school.

The Commissary
This building was originally constructed during the reign of the Conqueror, but was restored in flu nineteenth century and is now used as an office building.

The Sofa Mosque
Underneath the Commissary is a vaulted passage which leads to the fourth court. Here stands a simple mosque with a single minaret, built in 1858.

The Iftariye
This open summer kiosk, which has a magnificent view over theGolden Horn and the entire city, was built in 1640 and consists of a bronze dome supported by four bronze columns. Inscriptions and decorations in gilt relief ornament it. Here congratulations were received and circumcisions, fasts, and entertainments took place.