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Topkap1 Palace, Istanbul
144 EUROPE

The official residence of the Ottoman sultans for more than
400 years, the magnificent T opkap1 Palace was built by
BLACK Sf A
Mehmet II between 1459 and 1465, shortly after his conquest
GEORGIA
ttTOPKAPI PALACE,
ISTANBUL "" of Constantinople (now Istanbul). It w as not conceived as
A~_;
a single building, but rather as a series of pavilions contained
.1zm1r
by four enormous courtyards, a stone version of the tented
•Adana
encampments from w hich the nomadic Ottomans had
emerged. Initially, Topkap1 served as the seat of government
M!f)ITERRANfAN and contained a school in which civil servants and soldiers
Sf A
were trained. However, the government was moved to the
Ll FE IN THE HAREM Sublime Porte in Istanbul in the 16th century. Sultan Abdu I
The word "harem" derives from the /liab1cfor Mecid I left T opkap1 in 1853 in favor of Do lmabah ~e Palace. Seventh-century jewel-
"forbidden." It was the residence of the sultan's encrusted jug, Treasury
In 1924, two years after the sultanate w as abolished, the
wives, concubines, children, and mother (the
palace was opened to the public as a museum.
most powerful woman), who were guarded by
black s lave eunuchs. The sultan and his sons
were the only other men allowed into the
harem. The concubines were slaves, gathered
Exhibition of arms
from the farthest corners of the Ottoman
and armour
emp1re and beyond. Their goal was to become
a favorite of the sultan and bear him a son
Compeution was stiff, for at its het!tlt a harem Entrance to
had more than 1,000 women. Topkap1's harem harem
was laid out by Murat Ill in the 16th century.
The last women left in 1909.

MEHMETII
Capturing the strategically important dty of
Constantinople from the Byzantines in 1453
was one of Mehmet ll's greatest aclievements
and a turn1ng point in the development of the
Ottoman empirt> Mehmt>t (1432-81)was the
son of Murat II and a slave girl. Ht> bt>came
kno'M'l as "the conqueror," not only for taking
Constantinople, but also for his successful
campaigns in the Balkans, Hungary, the Crimea,
and elsewhere. In 30 years as sultan, he rebui I t
his new capital, reorganized the government Courtyard
codified the law and set up colleges that excelled
in mathematics and astronomy.
Gate of Salutations:
PALACE COLLECTIONS the entrance to
the palace --.
On dispi<PJ throughout the palact> are tht>
glrttenng trt>aslJ't>S amassed by the Ottoman
stJtans dunng their 470-year reign. In addttJon !Ail Divan
to diplomatic gifts and items commissioned The viziers of the imperial
from palace craftsmen, many objects were council met in this
chamber; sometimes
booty brought back from military campaigns.
they were secretly
The kitchens contain cauldrons and utensils watched by the sultan.
used to prepare food for the 12,000 residents,
and Chinese porcelain carried along the Silk Second Courtyard
Route The Treasury holds thousands of
precious and semiprecious stones: highlights
indude the bejeweled Topkap1 dagger (1741),
and tht> 86-carat Spoonmake( s d1amond KEY DATES
Mehmet ll's Stmptuous silk kaftan is among the
1465 1574 1640s 1665
impenal costumes in the Hall of the Campaign
The Topkap1 Palace Grand rebuilding The Circumci9on A fire destroys Gate of Felicity
Pages. In the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle are
is completed. to houS(' Murat Ill's Pavilion is built. parts of the harem This is also called the Gate
some of the holiest relics of Islam, such as the vast harem. and Divan. of the White Eunuchs.
mantle once worn by the Prophet Mohammed.