Topkapi Palace
It is located on the promontory of the historical
peninsula in İstanbul which overlooks both the Marmara Sea and the
Bosphorus. The walls enclosing the palace grounds, the main gate on the
land side and the first buildings were constructed during the time of
Fatih Sultan Mehmet (the Conqueror) (1451 - 81). The palace has taken its
present layout with the addition of new structures in the later centuries.
Topkapı Palace was the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans,
starting with Fatih Sultan Mehmet until 1856, when Abdülmecid moved to
the Dolmabahçe palace, functioned as the administrative center of the
state. The Enderun section also gained importance as a school.
The main exterior
gate of the Topkapı Palace is the Imperial Gate (Bab-ı Hümayun) which
opens up to the Ayasofya Square. This gate leads to a garden known as the
First Court. This court has the Aya Irini Church which was once used as an
ammunition depot and behind the Church there is the mint. In the past
various pavillions allocated to different services of the palace were
located in the First Court. In later years these have ben replaced with
public buildings and schools. Some of these are still existing. At the end
of the 19th century Archeology Museum and School of Fine Arts (now
Oriental Works Museum) were built in the large garden which is to the
northwest of the First Court. The oldest structure in this section is the
Çinili Köşk built by Fatih, which is now used as the Museum of Turkish
Tiles and Ceramics. On the walls of this outer garden facing Bab-ı ali
(the Imperial Gate), there is Alay Köşkü (procession Pavillion) where
the Sultans used to watch the marching ceremonies. A section of the outer
garden was planned by the municipality at the beginning of the 20th
century and opened to the public. Known today as the Gülhane Park, the
enterence has one of the larger gates of the palace.
After the First Court, there is the Second Court
which contains the palace buildings. It is entered through a monumental
gate called Bab'us-Selam or the Middle Gate. The buildings in this court
form the outer section of the palace which is called Birun. On the right
there are the instantly noticed palace kitchens with their domes and
chimneys and the dormitories of those who worked there. The most important
of the buildings on the left side of the court are the Kubbealtı and the
Inner Treasury. Behind Kubbealtı rises the Justice Tower, which is one of
the symbols of the Topkapı Palace. The Harem section, which comes all the
way to the back of these buildings is entered from the Third Court. Third
Court is entered through the gate called Bab'üs Sa'ade (Gate of the White
Eunuiches). This section of the palace is called Enderun, and it is the
section where the sultans live with their extended families. Hence it is
specially protected. The barracks of the Akağalar, which guard Bab'üs
Sa'ade are on both sides of the gate. Tere are two structures. The first
which is immediately opposite the gate is the Throne Room or the Audience
Hall. Here the sultans receive the ambassadors and high ranking state
officials such as Grand Visier or the Visiers. Right behind the Throne
Room there is the library built by Ahmet III (1703 - 30). On the right
side of the Third Court, there is the barracks of the Enderun and the
Privy Treasury which is also known as the Mehmet the Conqueror Pavilion.
On the side facing the Fourth Court, there is the Larder Barracks of the
Enderun, the Treasury Chamber and the Chamber of the Sacred Relics. The
left side starts with the Harem. The harem which covers a large part of
the Palace consists of about 60 spaces of varying sizes. The main
structures which are located in front of the Harem, facing the Third Court
are Akağalar Mosque, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Barracks of the Sacred Relics
Guards and Chambers of the Sacred Relics. Here, the sacred relics brought
back by Sultan Yavuz Selim from Egypt in 1517 are kept. The Fourth Court
is entered from a covered path going from both sides of the Treasury Room.
Here the buildings are located in the first part of the court, which has
two sections of different levels. On the left side of this section called
Lala Garden or Lale Garden there is Mabeyn which is the beginning point of
Harem's access to the garden, terrace for the ladies with removable glass
enclosure, Circumcission Room, Sultan İbrahim Patio and another one of
the symbols of Topkapı palace, the İftariye (or Kameriye) and Baghdat
Pavilion. This pavillion was built by Murad IV in 1640 to commemorate the
Baghdat Campaign. At the center of the first section of the Fourth Court,
there is the Big Pool and Ravan Pavillion next to it. This pavillion was
also built by Murad IV in 1629, to commemorate the Revan Campaign. The
side facing the second section has Sofa Pavilion (Koca Mustafa Pasha
Pavilion), Başbala Tower and Hekimbaşı (Chief Physician) Room. The Sofa
Mosque and Esvap Chamber and the latest built Mecidye Pavilion are on the
right hand side of the Fourth Court. Out of the pavillions built on the
shore of the Marmara Sea, only Sepetciler Mansion has survived until the
present.
During 18th. Century when the Topkapı palace took
its final shape, it was sheltering a population of more than 10.000 in its
outer (Birun) and inner (Enderun) and Harem sections. It shows no
archirectural unity as new parts were added in every period according to
the needs. However, this enables us to follow the stages Ottoman
Architecture went through from the 15th to the middle of the 19th century
at the Topkapı Palace. The buildings of the 15th - 17th centuries are
simpler and those of the 18th - 19th centuries, particularly in terms of
exterior and interior ornamentation are more complex.
Topkapı Palace was
converted to a museum in 1924. Parts of the Palace such as the Harem,
Baghdat Pavilion, Revan Pavilion, Sofa Pavilion, and the Audiance Chamber
distinguish themselves with their architectural assets,while in other
sections artifacts are displayed which reflect the palace life. The museum
also has collections from various donations and a library.
Telephone and Fax
Numbers of Topkapı Palace Museum
Tel :
(0212) 522 44 22 / 512 04 80-5 lines
Fax : (0212) 528 59 91
|