2024 Turkey: Topkapi Palace I

Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Serayi in Turkish) was the royal palace from 1460 to 1856, when it was replaced by the Dolmbache Palace across the Bosporus Straits.  Construction was begun in 1459, 6 years after the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmet The Conqueror.  Originally it was called the New Palace (Yeni Saray) to distinguish it from the first palace of the Ottomans in what was now Instanbul.  It was renamed to Topakapi Palace - "The Cannon Gate".   It occupies between 146 and 173 acres.

Topkapi Palace Schematic (Source)

The Topkapi Palace was a designed as a series of four courtyards, each courtyard entailing a hierarchy to enter it.   The original design was by Mehmet the Conqueror; part of its design was to seclude the Imperial family from the outside world.  To this end, a hierarchy was developed that regulated the ability to access the inner parts of the palace and the protocol to be followed.  One of the matters of protocol was the observance of silence in the inner courtyards.

The Bab-ı Hümayun, or Imperial Gate

The Imperial Gate opened up into the First Court, known as The Court of the Janissaries.  In this court was the Royal Mint, the former church of Hagia Irene (used as an armory by the military), as well as several other structures which are no longer present.  In this courtyard, visitors would pass through a line of Janissaries and court officials in their formal garb as the walked towards the inner courts.

 

Hagia Irene (now Aya Irene) in the background.

The Bosporus

Hagia Irene

Moving through the First Courtyard, visitors would come to the Second Gate, the Gate of Salutation (Orta Kapi). The current gate dates from at least A.D. 1542.  Visitors were tightly controlled, and any riders had to dismount as only the Sultan could ride through the gate.

The Gate of Salutation

The Gate of Salutation opens up into the Second Courtyard, or the Divan Square (Divan Medani).  In this courtyard were the entrances to the Harem (sadly, an additional cost on the tour), hospital, Janissary quarters, bakery, stables, and the Divan (the Imperial Council chambers of the Sultan's government).  In Ottoman times, the Sultan would have received his visitors here.  Peacocks and antelope would have wandered the grounds.

A view of the Divan

Looking towards the Bâbüssaâde, or Gate of Felicity - The entrance to the Third Court

The Divan.  To the left can be seen the entrance to the Imperial Harem.

The Gate of Felicity

On this spot was flown the Sancak-ı Şerif, or the Great Flag.  It is attributed to be the flag of Mohammad and is currently stored at the Topkapi Palace treasury

The kitchen complex was interesting.  Consisting of a total of 10 domed buildings, the kitchens fed the staff of the Topkapi Palace, the guards, as well as performing a charitable service of feeding the poor.  In the 16th Century A.D. up to 5,000 people worked at the Topkapi Palace; that number increased to 10,000 by the 17th Century A.D. To support this, a staff of 200 (in the 1460's) grew to almost 1300 by the 17th Century and continued at that level through the 18th Century.

Kitchens and Quarters

Interior of one of the kitchens

One of the dome roofs, which functioned as a chimney

Interestingly and per the law of Mehmet The Conqueror, the Sultan always ate alone.  He was served by the Chief Pantler, who was in turn served by men charged with the Sultan's bread, the Sultan's drinking water, the Sultan's dining tray and spoon washer, the Sultan's trays, the Sultan's pickles, the Sultan's sherbet, the Sultan's hand washing water, the Sultan's towel holder, the Sultan's coffee, and the Sultan's sherbet (if you were wondering, there are Turkish terms for each).