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158-482: Historians claim that the sultan was frequently lobbied by harem members of different ethnic or religious backgrounds to influence the geography of the Ottoman wars of conquest. The utmost authority in the imperial harem, the valide sultan , ruled over the other women in the household. The consorts of the sultan were normally of slave origin, including the valide sultan. The Kizlar Agha ( Kızlarağası , also known as

316-428: A concubine, Roxelana somehow caught the attention of Sultan Suleiman I and he continued to call for her to return to his bed. Roxelana bore her first son, Mehmed, in 1521, after the sultan's first two sons passed away. The couple soon had more children. That Roxelana was allowed to give birth to more than one son was a stark violation of the old royal harem principle of "one concubine mother — one son," and it signaled that

474-424: A finger in every aspect of harem life. Haseki sultan : This was the title reserved for the favorite chief slave consort of the Ottoman sultan. A haseki sultan had an important position in the palace, being the most powerful woman and enjoyed the greatest status in the imperial harem after the valide sultan and usually had chambers close to the sultan's chamber. The haseki had no blood relation with

632-651: A fire its name was transferred to the palace. In Turkish the current name of the palace, Topkapı , means 'Cannon Gate'. The palace complex is located on the Seraglio Point ( Sarayburnu , سرای بورونی ), a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn , where the Bosphorus Strait meets the Sea of Marmara . The terrain is hilly and the palace itself is located at one of the highest points close to

790-497: A higher and more meaningful position to black eunuchs due to an increase of crime by white eunuchs. Despite all of this, many black eunuchs suffered oppression from white eunuchs because of their physical bodies and race. During the Sultanate of Women ( Kadınlar Saltanatı ), eunuchs increased their political leverage by taking advantage of minor or mentally incompetent sultans. Teenage sultans were "guided" by regencies formed by

948-467: A new sultan came to the harem with pomp and circumstance and assumed the title of valide sultan or sultana mother upon her son's ascension. She would become a prominent leader, whose power extended over the harem as well as the members of the dynasty. The valide sultan who influenced the political life of the Ottoman Empire during various periods of history (such as the Sultanate of Women in

1106-409: A pipe-room. On the outside and inside of the complex, many pious foundation inscriptions about the various duties and upkeep of the quarters can be found. In contrast to the rest of the palace, the quarters are constructed of red and green painted wood. The palace kitchens ( Saray Mutfakları ) were built when the palace was first constructed in the 15th century and expanded during the reign of Suleyman

1264-533: A political institution, where royal women lived and worked at the center of the government. Roxelana completely changed the way in which women were treated within the harem and helped modernize the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman imperial palaces were managed by a legion of special employees and slaves, called eunuchs. Eunuchs were castrated men recruited and trained to serve in the apartments of the princes, also called kafes (cage), as well as women's quarters of

1422-545: A powerful woman was emerging in Suleiman's court. Sometime around 1533–1534, Suleiman declared Roxelana a free woman and married her, violating yet another 300-year-old custom of the Ottoman harem in which sultans were not to marry their concubines. It marked the first time a former harem slave was elevated to the powerful role of spouse. No other children were born to Suleiman from another concubine during his entire reign. Suleiman wrote love poetry and letters to Roxelana while he

1580-466: A suite with a bedroom, throne room, bath, rooms for her servants, a bakery, commissary, and kitchens which were all grouped around the largest court of the harem, known as the Queen Mother's Court. Over the course of the sultans' residences at Topkapı Palace, the harem was first a residence for slave girls, then became an area run by the sultan's favorite wife, and finally a spacious area focused on

1738-655: A veiled window overlooking the Council Hall below. From this window, his Noble Excellency sometimes watched the events of the divan, checking the truth of affairs." The Tower of Justice ( Adalet Kulesi ) is located between the Imperial Council and the Harem. The Tower of Justice is several stories high and the tallest structure in the palace, making it clearly visible from the Bosphorus as a landmark. The tower

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1896-499: A word derived from the Turkish Oda, meaning chamber, was a chamber girl or attendant, but was not a term synonymous with concubine. However, in western usage, the term has come to refer specifically to the harem concubine. The cariye s, often introduced into the harem at a young age, were brought up in the disciplines of the palace. This was the largest group of women in the harem. Inexperienced female slaves who newly entered

2054-411: Is around 1527, when they were established to clear the roads ahead of the army during a campaign. The dormitory was founded in the 15th century. It was enlarged by the chief architect Davud Ağa in 1587, during the reign of Sultan Murad III . The dormitories are constructed around a main courtyard in the traditional layout of an Ottoman house, with baths and a mosque, as well as recreational rooms such as

2212-529: Is made up of around 2,500 garments, including the precious kaftans of the Sultans. It also houses a collection of 360 ceramic objects. The dormitory was constructed under Sultan Murad IV in 1635. The building was restored by Sultan Ahmed III in the early 18th century. The dormitory is vaulted and is supported by 14 columns. Adjacent to the dormitory, located northeast, is the Conqueror's Pavilion, which houses

2370-468: Is the largest of all the courtyards of the palace. The steep slopes leading towards the sea had already been terraced under Byzantine rule. Some of the historical structures of the First Courtyard no longer exist. The structures that remain are the former Imperial Mint ( Darphane-i Âmire , constructed in 1727), the church of Hagia Irene and various fountains. The Byzantine church of Hagia Irene

2528-549: Is through the three doors in the portico of the Second Courtyard: the Imperial commissariat (lower kitchen) door, imperial kitchen door and the confectionery kitchen door. The palace kitchens consist of 10 domed buildings: Imperial kitchen, ( palace school ), Harem (women's quarters), Birûn (outer service section of the palace), kitchens, beverages kitchen, confectionery kitchen, creamery , storerooms and rooms for

2686-399: The valide sultan to new heights. Two Valide sultans acted as regents for their sons, assuming the vast power and influence the position entailed. The most powerful and well-known of all valide sultans in the history of the Ottoman Empire were Nurbanu Sultan , Safiye Sultan , Kösem Sultan , and Turhan Sultan . Nurbanu Sultan became the first of the great valide sultans during

2844-521: The Historic Areas of Istanbul , a group of sites in Istanbul that UNESCO recognised as a World Heritage Site in 1985. The name of the palace was Saray-i Cedid-i Amire ( Ottoman Turkish : سرای جديد عامره , 'Imperial New Palace') until the 18th century. The palace received its current name during Mahmud I 's reign; when Topkapusu Sâhil Sarâyı , the seaside palace, was destroyed in

3002-543: The Ottoman Empire after the sultan himself. As the mother to the sultan, by Islamic tradition ("A mother's right is God's right"), the valide sultan would often have a significant influence on the affairs of the empire. She had great power in the court and her own rooms (always adjacent to her son's) and state staff. The valide sultan had quarters within the New Palace, where the Sultan himself resided, beginning in

3160-641: The Seraglio , is a large museum and library in the east of the Fatih district of Istanbul in Turkey . From the 1460s to the completion of Dolmabahçe Palace in 1856, it served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire , and was the main residence of its sultans . Construction, ordered by the Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror , began in 1459, six years after the conquest of Constantinople . Topkapı

3318-403: The Sultanate of Women , as the position of main consort eroded over the course of 17th century, the main consort lost the title sultan , which replaced by kadïn , a title related to the earlier khatun . Henceforth, the mother of the reigning sultan was the only person of non-imperial blood to carry the title sultan . Valide sultan was, in most cases, the most important position in

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3476-498: The Valide sultan was able to follow deliberations of the council without being noticed from a window with a golden grill. The window could be reached from the imperial quarters in the adjacent Tower of Justice ( Adalet Kulesi ). The window is mentioned for the first time in 1527 by the scholar Celalzade Mustafa Çelebi : "His Majesty [...] had built a high throne and a lofty loggia above the outer Council Hall where viziers sat, inventing

3634-571: The "Chief Black Eunuch" because of the Nilotic origin of most aghas ) was the head of the eunuchs responsible for guarding the imperial harem. The word harem is derived from the Arabic harim or haram , which connotes the sacred and forbidden. The term further emphasizes that only women household members, and some related male family members, were able to enter these areas. The word has also been traced back to meaning "sanctuary," reflecting

3792-556: The 1550s further expanded the empire's reach and access to slave caravans. Eunuchs served in the palace from the times of Sultan Mehmed I onwards. They were given the charge of guarding the harem and rose in rank after serving in many positions. The harem eunuchs and the harem organization were under the command of the chief harem eunuch, also called the Master of the Girls ( Kızlar Ağası ) or chief black eunuch . Castration meant they were

3950-445: The 16th and 17th centuries) had the authority to regulate the relations between the sultan and his wives and children. When a prince left the capital for his provincial governorate, he was accompanied by his mother. In this way, she was able to fulfill her duty of directing the prince's domestic household and provide training and supervision of harem inhabitants. At times, the valide sultan acted as regent for her son, particularly in

4108-665: The 16th century. As the Valide sultan (Sultana mother), who had direct and intimate access to the Sultan's person, often influenced government decisions bypassing the Imperial Council and the Grand Vizier altogether or the grille-covered window from which the Sultan or Valide sultan could observe Council meetings. This left her at the heart of the political ongoings and machinations of the Ottoman Empire. valide sultan also traditionally had access to considerable economic resources and often funded major architectural projects, such as

4266-470: The 18th century. The Imperial Council ( Dîvân-ı Hümâyûn ) building is the chamber where the Imperial Council —consisting of the Grand Vizier ( Vazīr-e Azam ) and other council ministers ( Dîvân Heyeti )—held meetings. The domed chamber of the building is called Kubbealtı , which means "under the dome". The council building situated in the northwestern corner of the courtyard next to

4424-497: The Atik Valide Mosque Complex in Istanbul. Many valide sultans undertook massive philanthropic endeavors and buildings, as this was seen as one of the main ways to demonstrate influence and wealth. Valide sultans were also conveniently one of the few people within the empire with the station and means to embark on these expensive projects. Nurbanu Sultan 's daily stipend as valide sultan to her son, Murad III ,

4582-474: The British Ambassador to Turkey, allowing her to spend time in the Ottoman Empire and write extensively about her experiences there. In her writings, she explained that the Ottoman women did not lack in their privileges due to their control over property, autonomy in the harem, and sexual liberty through the wearing of veils. Montagu admired Ottoman slave institutions and actively defended them, which

4740-517: The Byzantine acropolis. This basic layout governed the pattern of future renovations and extensions. The layout and appearance of Topkapı Palace was unique amongst not only European travellers, but also Islamic or oriental palaces. European travellers described it as "irregular, asymmetric, non-axial, and [of] un-monumental proportions". Ottomans called it "The Palace of Felicity". A strict, ceremonial, codified daily life ensured imperial seclusion from

4898-604: The Dolmabahçe Palace. Given that this new site did not have enough space to support the number of women in the imperial harem, it was downsized with wives, unmarried sisters, and servants being moved elsewhere. In 2014 a project began to restore and refurbish the harem chambers at Yıldız Palace and open them to tourism. As part of this project, scholars and others began to research the harem architecture, ornate decor, furnishings, and everyday lives of its inhabitants. Much of this work has yet to be published. The mother of

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5056-522: The English should attempt to better understand the Turkish woman. She wrote that the Turkish woman is "proud" and "insists that her dignity be respected." Ellison also spoke extensively on the institution of slavery in the Ottoman Empire and voiced her desire to save the women in the harem. She "longed to break down for them the lattice-work which is always there between them and the sun," and lamented about

5214-529: The Gate of Felicity. The Imperial Council building was first built during the reign of Mehmed II. The present building dates from the period of Süleyman the Magnificent; the chief architect was Alseddin. It had to be restored after the Harem fire of 1665. According to the entrance inscription it was also restored during the periods of Selim III and Mahmud II ; on its façade are verse inscriptions that mention

5372-424: The Gate of Felicity. This square building is an Ottoman kiosk, surrounded by a colonnade of 22 columns supporting the large roof with hanging eaves . The building dates from the 15th century. The ceiling of the chamber was painted in ultramarine blue and studded with golden stars. The walls were lined with blue, white and turquoise tiles. The chamber was further decorated with precious carpets and pillows. The chamber

5530-612: The Gate of Salutation from the First Courtyard. In April 2021, archaeologists uncovered a Roman period gallery consisting of three sections during the underground researches carried out in Topkapı Palace. The gallery located near the Imperial Gate was revealed during the excavation of the First Courtyard. Through the middle gate is the Second Courtyard ( II. Avlu ), or Divan Square ( Divan Meydanı ). The courtyard

5688-478: The Magnificent. They were modeled on the kitchens of Edirne Palace . After the fire of 1574, which damaged the kitchens, they were remodeled by the court architect Mimar Sinan . The rebuilt kitchens form two rows of 20 wide chimneys; these chimneys were added by Mimar Sinan. The kitchens are located on an internal street stretching between the Second Courtyard and the Marmara Sea. The entrance to this section

5846-628: The Name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful", dating from 1723. This inscription was added during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III. The tile panels on either side of the door were placed during later repair work. There is a small fountain by the entrance from the time of Suleiman I. The Persian inscriptions calls the sultan "the fountainhead of generosity, justice and the sea of beneficence." Gifts presented by ambassadors were placed in front of

6004-696: The New palace and 1,500 in the Old Palace, and that there were 1,100 – 1,200 in 1604–1607, but these numbers are likely overestimated. The actual number of women are estimated to have been 49 in 1574 and 433 in 1633. In the 18th- and 19th-century, the official mevacib register is sometimes preserved, and notes that the harem contained 446 slave women during the reign of sultan Mahmud I (r.1730–1754), 720 during sultan Selim III (r. 1789–1808), and 473 during sultan Mahmud II (r.1808–1839). The Ottoman Imperial Harem, like other aspects of Ottoman and Middle Eastern culture,

6162-591: The Ottoman Court." Ellison condemned the act of veiling as form of "slavery". In 1868, Empress Eugénie of France visited the Imperial Harem, which had significant consequences. She was taken by Sultan Abdülaziz to greet his mother, Valide Sultan Pertevniyal Sultan . Reportedly, Pertevniyal became outraged by the presence of a foreign woman in her harem, and so she slapped the empress in the face, almost provoking an international incident. The visit of

6320-425: The Ottoman imperial court. These positions helped them solidify their own power within the imperial court and ease diplomatic tensions on a broader, international scale. Most harem women who were slaves were never formally married to the sultans. Nevertheless, their children were considered fully legitimate under Islamic law if recognized by the father. The list does not include the complete list of mothers of

6478-447: The Ottoman sultans . Most who held the title of valide sultan were the biological mothers of the reigning sultans. The mothers who died before their sons' accession to throne, never assumed the title of valide sultan , like Hürrem Sultan , Muazzez Sultan , Mihrişah Kadın , Şermi Kadın , Tirimüjgan Kadın , Gülcemal Kadın and Gülistu Kadın . In special cases, there were grandmothers, stepmothers, adoptive mothers and sisters of

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6636-494: The Roman and Byzantine periods that have been found on the palace site during recent excavations, including sarcophagi , are on display in the Second Courtyard in front of the imperial kitchens. Located underneath the Second Courtyard is a cistern that dates to Byzantine times. During Ottoman times this courtyard would have been full of peacocks and gazelles . It was used as a gathering place for courtiers. The Sultan, seated on

6794-576: The Sultan's family lived in the harem , and leading state officials, including the Grand Vizier , held meetings in the Imperial Council building. After the 17th century, Topkapı gradually lost its importance. The sultans of that period preferred to spend more time in their new palaces along the Bosphorus . In 1856 Sultan Abdulmejid I decided to move the court to the newly built Dolmabahçe Palace . Topkapı retained some of its functions, including

6952-532: The Third Courtyard was established by Mehmed II. While Mehmed II would not sleep in the harem, successive sultans after him became more secluded and moved to the more intimate Fourth Courtyard and the harem section. The Hünername miniature from 1584 shows the Third Courtyard and the surrounding outer gardens. The Audience Chamber, also known as the Chamber of Petitions ( Arz Odası ), is right behind

7110-525: The Topkapı Palace was converted into a museum, its collection of arms and armor was put on exhibition in this building. During excavations in 1937 in front of this building, remains of a religious Byzantine building dating from the 5th century were found. Since it could not be identified with any of the churches known to have been built on the palace site, it is now known as "the Basilica of the Topkapı Palace" or simply Palace Basilica . Also located outside

7268-466: The Topkapı harem. Young slave girls inhabited a large dormitory. Women's sexual relations with the sultan determined their living quarters. Once a slave girl had sex with the sultan she received her own chamber, attendants, kitchen maids, a eunuch, and pay. All of these were increased if she became pregnant. If she bore a child she might be moved into an even larger apartment. Sultan Murad III alone tripled

7426-502: The artists who illustrated the Ottoman Imperial Harem, very few actually visited the empire, and all were male, so it is highly possible that these depictions were neither accurate nor authentic. There were quite a few women who traveled to the Ottoman Empire and published their opinions on the harem. Lady Mary Montagu , an early eighteenth century English aristocrat and writer, was one such woman. Her husband served as

7584-470: The beauty and manners of Fatima, a Turkish woman, to that of European women. Fatima would be considered beautiful "either in England or Germany " and could be "suddenly transported upon the most polite throne of Europe nobody would think her other than born and bred to be a queen, though educated in a country we call barbarous." Grace Ellison was another woman who traveled to the Ottoman Empire and wrote of

7742-425: The buildings exceed two stories. Seen from above, the palace grounds are divided into four main courtyards and the harem. The first courtyard was the most accessible, while the fourth courtyard and the harem were the most inaccessible. Access to these courtyards was restricted by high walls and controlled with gates. Apart from the four to five main courtyards, various other small to mid-sized courtyards exist throughout

7900-399: The communal and honored aspect of the haram . As the sultan became increasingly sedentary in the palace, his family members, previously dispersed between provincial capitals, were eventually relieved of their public duties and gathered in the imperial capital. The official move of members of the Ottoman dynasty to the harem at Topkapi Palace in the sixteenth century gradually transformed

8058-443: The complex. Estimates of the total size of the complex varies from around 592,600 m (146.4 acres) to 700,000 m (173 acres). To the west and south the complex is bordered by the large imperial flower park, known today as Gülhane Park . Various related buildings such as small summer palaces ( kasır , قصر ), pavilions, kiosks ( köşk , كوشك ) and other structures for royal pleasures and functions formerly existed at

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8216-433: The confidence of the sultan, even when he was away on military campaign, and had unique access to the sultan's bedchamber, including arranging appointments with harem consorts. Some of the eunuch's basic duties were watching over the women in the harem, negotiating and speaking to both the sultan and their relatives, and supervising the palace and keeping everyone safe. Meanwhile, the chief white eunuch ( Kapı Ağası ),

8374-448: The construction style and arrangements of various halls and buildings. The architects had to ensure that even within the palace, the sultan and his family could enjoy a maximum of privacy and discretion, making use of grilled windows and building secret passageways. Later sultans made various modifications to the palace, though Mehmed II's basic layout was mostly preserved. The palace was significantly expanded between 1520 and 1560, during

8532-422: The contemporary historian Critobulus of Imbros the sultan "took care to summon the very best workmen from everywhere – masons and stonecutters and carpenters ... For he was constructing great edifices which were to be worth seeing and should in every respect vie with the greatest and best of the past." Accounts differ as to when construction of the inner core of the palace started and was finished. Critobulus gives

8690-465: The cooks. They were the largest kitchens in the Ottoman Empire. Food was prepared for about 4,000 people and the kitchen staff consisted of more than 800 people. The kitchens included dormitories, baths and a mosque for the employees, most of which disappeared over time. Apart from exhibiting kitchen utensils, today the buildings contain a silver gifts collection, as well as a large collection of porcelain. The Ottomans had access to Chinese porcelains from

8848-476: The council. There are three domed chambers: the first chamber where the Imperial Council held its deliberations is called the Kubbealtı , the second was occupied by the secretarial staff of the Imperial Council, and the third—called Defterhāne —is where the head clerks kept records of the council meetings. The main chamber Kubbealtı is, however, decorated with Ottoman Kütahya tiles . The Sultan or

9006-515: The damaged parts of the palace. Mimar Sinan restored and expanded not only the damaged areas, but also the Harem, baths, the Privy Chamber and various shoreline pavilions. By the end of the 16th century, the palace had acquired its present appearance. The palace is an extensive complex rather than a single monolithic structure, with an assortment of low buildings constructed around courtyards, interconnected with galleries and passages. Few of

9164-433: The dates 1459–1465; other sources suggest construction was completed in the late 1460s. Mehmed II established the basic layout of the palace. His private quarters would be located at the highest point of the promontory. Various buildings and pavilions surrounded the innermost core and winded down the promontory towards the shores of the Bosphorus . The entire complex was surrounded by high walls, some of which date back to

9322-427: The depiction of the fight of a dragon, symbol of power, with simurg , a mythical bird. On the throne there is a cover made of several pieces of brocade on which emerald and ruby plaques and pearls are sown. Embossed inscriptions at the main visitors' door, dating from 1856, contain laudatory words for Sultan Abdülmecid I. The main door is surmounted by an embossed besmele , the common Muslim benediction, meaning "In

9480-406: The empress, however, did lead to a dress reform in the harem. Western fashion grew popular among the harem women, who continued to dress according to Western fashion from then on. However, women from the west also started to become more curious about the fashion of the harem women. Lady Montagu was one of the women who became very passionate about the wardrobe of the Ottoman women, and began to dress

9638-411: The eye of the sultan. In some cases, they were also concubines. They, too, were ranked among one another by the sultan in order of preference. Cariye : These were the slave women who served the valide sultan , ikbal 's, kadin 's and the sultan's children. They could be promoted to kalfa s which meant they earned wages, otherwise they were the property of the sultan and would reside in

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9796-404: The first instance of a sultan marrying one of his slaves. The last haseki was Rabia Sultan , the haseki of the sultan Ahmed II . Over time, the term haseki was no longer used because, it became very apparent that it didn't support the custom of honoring the valide sultan. Kadın : Among the women of the Imperial Harem, the kadın was the slave woman (or women) who had given

9954-527: The gate on his Bayram throne on religious, festive days and accession, when the subjects and officials perform their homage standing. The funerals of the Sultan were also conducted in front of the gate. On either side of this colonnaded passage, under control of the Chief Eunuch of the Sultan's Harem (called the Bâbüssaâde Ağası ) and the staff under him, were the quarters of the eunuchs as well as

10112-499: The gold-plated Bayram throne , used to hold audiences in the second courtyard. Some foreign dignitaries, including the French ambassador Philippe du Fresne-Canaye , have written accounts about these audiences. The imperial stables ( Istabl-ı Âmire ), located around five to six meters below ground level, were constructed under Mehmed II and renovated under Suleyman. A vast collection of harness "treasures" ( Raht Hazinesi ) are kept in

10270-578: The great"). or "the nacre of the pearl of the sultanate". Normally, the living mother of a reigning sultan held this title. Those mothers who died before their sons' accession to the throne never received the title of valide sultan . In special cases sisters, grandmothers and stepmothers of a reigning sultan assumed the title and/or the functions valide sultan . The word valide ( والده ) literally means 'mother' in Ottoman Turkish, from Arabic wālida . The Turkish pronunciation of

10428-491: The greater Ottoman world outside of the harem walls. The imperial harem occupied a large section of the private apartments of the sultan at the Topkapi Palace which encompassed more than 400 rooms. The harem had been moved to Topkapi in the early 1530s. After 1853, an equally lavish harem quarter was occupied at the new imperial palace at Dolmabahçe . The structure of the imperial palace was meant to communicate "both

10586-422: The group who came next in rank to the valide sultan . Right below the kadın s in rank were the ikbal s, whose number was unspecified. Last in the hierarchy were the gözde s. During 16th and 17th centuries, the chief consort of the sultan received the title haseki sultan or sultana consort. This title surpassed other titles and ranks of a prominent consort, known as ( hatun and kadın ). When

10744-458: The hall are in the rococo style, with gilded grills to admit natural light. While the pillars are an earlier Ottoman style, the wall paintings and decorations are from the later rococo period. Inside, the Imperial Council building consists of three adjoining main rooms. The 15th century Divanhane , built with a wooden portico at the corner of the Divan Court , was later used as the mosque of

10902-527: The harem at Topkapı Palace . At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the corps of Topkapı harem eunuchs numbered between 800 and 1,200. This was, and would remain, the highest number of eunuchs ever employed. These eunuchs were Nilotic slaves captured in the Nile vicinity. The sultans were able to obtain these slaves because of the conquest of Egypt in 1517 , which gave direct access to slave caravans that used those routes. The conquest of northeastern Sudan in

11060-441: The harem varied over time, and the harem itself was regularly renewed as a result of the practice of manumission . Manumission of the previous sultan's concubines was especially common upon the enthronement of a new sultan. Most enslaved girls were Christian and came from various countries, regions, and ethnic groups, including Circassia, Georgia, Russia, and Africa. There was no standard practice that determined what age girls entered

11218-425: The harem, founded on family-based relationships among the women. This family was not limited to blood connections but included the whole royal household, consisting mainly of slaves. Following the evolution of the imperial harem, from the sixteenth century onward, shows that while the organizational structure of the harem was never static and the numbers and roles of servants within the palace was constantly fluid, there

11376-430: The harem. Roxelana became Suleiman's most loyal informant when he was away and after his mother's death. She became a legendary and influential woman of her time. Roxelana established grand foundations to assist the needy, and showed special compassion towards slaves. She also ensured that the talented women of the harem left palace service to marry deserving partners. She transformed the royal harem at Topkapi Palace into

11534-461: The harem. Newly arrived slave girls were called Acemi (novice) and Acemilik (novicitiate), and then Sakird (apprentice). Gedikli were the personal maidservants of the sultan. Cariye-women were manumitted to go after nine years of service, after which a marriage was arranged for them. The number of women in the harem is contested and only possible to estimate during some periods. Contemporaries claimed that in 1573, there were 150 women in

11692-414: The harem. Some arrived as children, while others entered at a later age. This slave trade was formally banned in 1854 but the ban was on paper only. After 1854, almost all court lady-slaves were of Circassian origin. Circassians had been expelled from Russian lands in the 1860s and impoverished refugee parents sold their daughters in a trade that was formally banned but continued in practice. Upon arrival at

11850-458: The harem.Their status was inferior to the preferred concubines. They were also not identified among the family elite of the harem. When court ladies had contact with the outside world it was through the services of intermediaries, such as the Kira . However, such exposure was rare. The harem was intentionally very cloistered and hidden from public view. This inaccessibility was maintained to preserve

12008-414: The identity of the sovereign's residence as the central arena of the empire and the difficulty of obtaining access to the sovereign within that arena." The strategic location and architectural design of the harem quarters within Topkapi Palace reflected a vital shift in the harem's newfound influence and power within the palace. In previous palaces, the harem quarters were always located in the far back of

12166-399: The imperial harem into a well-organized, hierarchical, and institutionalized social and political structure, with rigid protocols and training. At the end of the sixteenth century, except for the sultan himself, no member of the royal family, male or female, left the capital. Both children and mothers were permanent occupants of the inner world of the palace. The harem was the ultimate symbol of

12324-529: The imperial harem. In An Englishwoman in a Turkish Harem published in 1915, Ellison sought to "correct" the prejudice and hatred that dominated the British national attitude towards Turkey. She wrote of the beauty and grandeur of the Ottoman Empire and of the great friends she had made there. She spoke highly of the progressive movements in Turkey and claimed that rights for women were increasing. Ellison claimed

12482-406: The imperial palace were called acemi (novice), and their early period of service and training was known as acemilik (novitiate) before they were eligible for promotions. There was a strict hierarchical system of status and roles within the harem and cariye s. They were promoted according to their capacities, intellect, and skills. The harem was broken into two main groups: those who directly served

12640-556: The imperial treasury, library and mint. After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, a government decree dated April 3, 1924 transformed Topkapı into a museum. Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism now administers the Topkapı Palace Museum. The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public as of 2020, including the Ottoman Imperial Harem and

12798-737: The large window in the middle of the main facade between the two doors. The Pişkeş Gate to the left ( Pişkeş Kapısı , Pişkeş meaning gift brought to a superior) is surmounted by an inscription from the reign of Mahmud II, which dates from 1810. Behind the Audience Chamber on the eastern side is the Dormitory of the Expeditionary Force ( Seferli Koğuşu ), which houses the Imperial Wardrobe Collection ( Padişhah Elbiseleri Koleksiyonu ). This collection

12956-654: The late Song Dynasty (960-1279) and the Yuan Dynasty (1280–1368), through the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). The pieces include celadons as well as blue and white porcelain. The Japanese collection is mainly Imari porcelain , dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The collection also includes around 5,000 European pieces. Researchers believe that Ottoman tastes changed over time to favor various types of European porcelain by

13114-416: The men were often painted as darker. The portraits of notable imperial harem women were less sexualized with many of them resembling traditional European portraits in their dress and physical features. Italian artist Titian's paintings of Hurrem Sultan and her daughter Mihrimah Sultan are extremely similar to his popular Portrait of a Lady , with the only notable difference being the Ottoman headdress. Of

13272-487: The mid-fifteenth century onward. Although official Chinese sources have documented that some Ottoman envoys paid tributary visits to China and received gifts, including porcelain wares, from the Chinese emperor as rewards, no sources on the Ottoman side substantiate such official missions. The collection of 10,700 pieces of Chinese porcelain is among the finest porcelain collections in the world. Porcelains often entered

13430-533: The most recognizable orientalist artwork based on the imperial harem. The Turkish Bath and Harem , (both pictured), are two such examples. These images were described as constituting the "imaginative geography" outlined in Edward Said's Orientalism . There was a prevalence of nudity in the bath scenes and the depiction of polygyny with multiple women and usually one man in the paintings. The women in these paintings were often portrayed as fair-skinned while

13588-500: The natural or divine order," that all other societies must work towards achieving. In particular, European notions of race, sexuality, and gender heavily influenced their perception and depictions of life and politics in the Ottoman empire . The West's assumed social organization was that of "public/commonwealth/male and private/domestic/female." Conversely, in Ottoman society , politics and imperial activity occurred in private. Seclusion

13746-416: The only males allowed and entrusted to be in the presence of the female population of the palace. As eunuchs also had direct access to the sultan and the sultan's family, they had great influence and power in the court and empire. The office of the chief harem eunuch was created in 1574. The chief black eunuch was sometimes considered second only to the grand vizier (head of the imperial government). He had

13904-445: The palace and the Second Courtyard. This crenellated gate has two large, pointed octagonal towers. Its date of construction is uncertain; the architecture of the towers appears to be of Byzantine influence. An inscription at the door dates this gate to at least 1542. The gate is richly decorated with religious inscriptions and monograms of sultans. Passage through the gate was tightly controlled and all visitors had to dismount, since only

14062-501: The palace and the women of the harem. Topkapı Palace served as the royal residence of the Ottoman sultan for four centuries. There is a wealth of sources about this structure making it one of the most fully documented buildings in the Islamic world. The architectural structure of the harem changed over time due to consecutive sultans' renovations. During the time of Murad III , (1574–1595) each of his 40 wives had separate quarters within

14220-613: The palace became available to the sultans, their families, and the harem. The imperial harem chambers were placed at the back of Dolmabahçe Palace, and functioned much the same as within Topkapi up until the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1922. The history of the Yıldız Palace begins in 1795 when Selim III built a pavilion there for his mother, marking a moment when valide sultans began managing and inhabiting their own hilltop estates. The complex later became widely known as having been

14378-402: The palace collection as parts of the estates of deceased persons, and were sometimes circulated as gifts amongst members of the royal family or other leading officials. Records indicate that by the 18th century the palace collection had 16,566 pieces of Chinese porcelain, compared to 400 pieces in the 16th century and 3,645 pieces in the 17th century. The Chinese porcelain collection ranges from

14536-470: The palace, hidden away from much of the palace population. In the layout of the Topkapi Palace, the harem was located in the right wing just behind the imperial council building. For the first time in history, the imperial harem was central and visible in Ottoman political life. The centralization of the harem's living quarters in Topkapi Palace reflected a changing in power dynamics between the men of

14694-463: The palace, women and girls began a rigorous transformation process. They were converted to Islam, learned religious precepts through recitation of core Islamic creeds, and were given new Muslim names that matched their physical appearance or personality. They were trained in court manners and activities and taught the Turkish language. As part of this total transition to a new life, the women were prohibited from contacting their families. An Odalisque ,

14852-563: The palace. It is a lush garden surrounded by the Hall of the Privy Chamber ( Has Oda ), the treasury, the harem and the library of Ahmed III . The Third Courtyard is surrounded by the quarters of the Ağas , page boys in the service of the sultan. They were taught the arts, such as music, painting and calligraphy . The best could become the Has Oda Ağası or high-ranking officials. The layout of

15010-401: The position of valide sultan was vacant, a haseki could take on the valide 's role, having access to considerable economic resources, and serving as the sultan's advisor in political matters, foreign policy and international politics. Such cases happened during the eras of Hürrem Sultan and Kösem Sultan . Concubines who were not consorts of the sultan became "forgotten women" of

15168-407: The possible mother of a future sultan gave them much influence and power in the harem. Ikbal : These slave women needed not necessarily to have given a child to the sultan, but simply needed to have taken his fancy. Ikbals were women who were chosen to become the new Kadin. Many of these women were referred to as gözde (meaning 'favorite'), or 'in the eye', having done just that: caught

15326-486: The power of prominent male and female members of the imperial household. According to Edward Said , Orientalist paintings , reflected Europe's eroticized view of Islam with luxury, leisure, and lust being common motifs. Similarly, writers focused on slavery and sexuality, and frequently compared Ottoman practices with those of the West. French artists such as Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Fernand Cormon painted some of

15484-420: The premises of the harem without the explicit permission of the valide sultan . The power of the valide sultan over concubines even extended to questions of life and death, with eunuchs directly reporting to her. Court ladies either lived in the halls beneath the apartments of the consorts , the valide sultan and the sultan, or in separate chambers. The kadın s, who numbered up to four, formed

15642-419: The privacy and sanctity of the consorts, future sultans, and harem at large. Hurrem Sultan, also called Roxelana , was a female concubine who completely transformed the harem system and left a lasting impact on the Ottoman Empire. Roxelana is believed to have been kidnapped from Ruthenia or "Old Russia" located in modern-day Ukraine. She was renamed Hurrem, "the cheerful one," upon her arrival in Istanbul. As

15800-403: The private and residential areas of the palace. The gate has a dome supported by lean marble pillars. It represents the presence of the Sultan in the palace. No one could pass this gate without the authority of the Sultan. Even the Grand Vizier was only granted authorisation on specified days and under specified conditions. The gate was probably constructed under Mehmed II in the 15th century. It

15958-641: The privy stables. This area also has a small 18th-century mosque and the bath of Beşir Ağa ( Beşir Ağa Camii ve Hamamı ), who was the chief black eunuch of Mahmud I. At the end of the imperial stables are the Dormitories of the Halberdiers with Tresses ( Zülüflü Baltacılar Koğuşu ). The responsibilities of the halberdiers included carrying wood to the palace rooms and service for some of the palace quarters. The halberdiers wore long tresses to signify their higher position. The first mention of this corps

16116-445: The queen mother ( valide sultan ), the grand vizier and the valide 's other supporters – and the chief black eunuch was the queen mother's and chief consorts' intimate and valued accomplice. Kösem Sultan, mother of Sultan Ibrahim (r. 1640–1648) and grandmother of Sultan Mehmed IV (r. 1648–1687), was killed at the instigation of the mother of Mehmed IV, Turhan Sultan, by harem eunuchs in 1651. Kızlar ağası : The kızlar ağası

16274-468: The reign of Suleyman the Magnificent . The Ottoman Empire had expanded rapidly and Suleyman wanted his residence to reflect its growing power. The chief architect in this period was the Persian Alaüddin, also known as Acem Ali. He was also responsible for the expansion of the Harem. In 1574, after a great fire destroyed the kitchens, Mimar Sinan was entrusted by Sultan Selim II to rebuild

16432-404: The reigning sultan but ranked higher than the sultan's own sisters and aunts, the princesses of the dynasty. Her elevated imperial status derived from the fact that she was the mother of a potential future sultan. This term haseki sultan was given to any woman who entered the sultan's bed. Hurrem Sultan was the first to hold this title after she became legally married to Suleiman the Magnificent ,

16590-530: The reigning sultans who assumed the role, and eventually the title, of valide sultan , like Mihrimah Sultan , Kösem Sultan and Rahime Perestu Sultan . son's death ترخان خدیجه سلطان صالحه دل آشوب سلطان رابعه گلنوش سلطان صالحه سلطان شهسوار سلطان مهر شاه سلطان سینه پرور سلطان نقش دل سلطان بزم عالم سلطان پرتو نهال سلطان adoptive daughter of Esma Sultan The title of Büyük Valide Sultan (Senior Valide Sultan) or Büyükanne Sultan (Grandmother Sultana)

16748-574: The remainder of the collection. Currently on exhibition are some 400 weapons, most of which bear inscriptions. The Gate of Felicity ( Bâbüssaâde or Bab-üs Saadet ) is the entrance into the Inner Court ( Enderûn meaning "inside" in Persian ), also known as the Third Courtyard, marking the border to the Outer Court or Birûn (meaning "outside" in Persian ). The Third Courtyard comprises

16906-497: The residence of the Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II, beginning in 1880. The palatial complex is demarcated by the Çırağan Palace on the waterfront and extending up to a valley between Besiktas and Ortaköy. After assassination attempts, Abdülhamid II moved his immediate family to the Yıldız Palace to live in a two-story mansion known as the Şale Kiosk. This became the new harem quarters following its location at

17064-459: The rest of world. One of the central tenets was the observation of silence in the inner courtyards. The principle of imperial seclusion is a tradition that was codified by Mehmed II in 1477 and 1481 in the Kanunname Code, which regulated the rank order of court officials, the administrative hierarchy, and protocol matters. This principle of increased seclusion over time was reflected in

17222-447: The restoration work carried out in 1792 and 1819 by Sultan Selim III and Mahmud II. The rococo decorations on the façade and inside the Imperial Council date from this period. There are multiple entrances to the council hall, both from inside the palace and from the courtyard. The porch consists of multiple marble and porphyry pillars, with an ornate green and white-coloured wooden ceiling decorated with gold. The exterior entrances into

17380-438: The rule. The imperial harem also served as a parallel institution to the sultan's household of male servants. The women were provided with an education roughly equal to that provided to male pages. At the end of their respective educations, the men and women would be married off to one another and "graduated" from the palace to occupy administrative posts in the empire's provinces. There was a distinct hierarchical structure within

17538-460: The same as they did. Valide sultan Valide Sultan ( Ottoman Turkish : والده سلطان , lit. "Sultana mother") was the title held by the mother of a ruling sultan of the Ottoman Empire . The Ottomans first formally used the title in the 16th century as an epithet of Hafsa Sultan (died 1534), mother of Sultan Suleyman I ( r.  1520–1566 ), superseding the previous epithets of Valide Hatun (lady mother), mehd-i ulya ("cradle of

17696-650: The sea. During Greek and Byzantine times, the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Byzantion stood here. After Sultan Mehmed II's conquest of Constantinople (known since 1930 in English as Istanbul ) in 1453, the Great Palace of Constantinople was largely in ruins. The Ottoman court was initially set up in the Old Palace ( Eski Saray , اسكی سرای ), today the site of Istanbul University in Beyazit Square. Mehmed II ordered that construction of Topkapı Palace begin in 1459. According to an account of

17854-562: The seventeenth century, when a series of accidents incapacitated the sultan. Regencies endowed the valide sultan with great political power. The valide sultan even influenced the way Ottoman sultans waged wars. The ethnic background of the valide sultan was a major determinant of whether a military target would be aimed at North Africa, the Middle East, or Europe. The sultans were likely to be mindful of their matrilineal descent when determining their next conquest. Matrilineal background

18012-573: The shore in an area known as the Fifth Courtyard, but have disappeared over time due to neglect and the construction of the shoreline railroad in the 19th century. The last remaining seashore structure that still exists today is the Basketmakers' Kiosk , constructed in 1592 by Sultan Murad III . The main street leading to the palace is the Byzantine processional Mese avenue, known today as Divan Yolu ('Council Street'). This street

18170-436: The sixteenth century, as haseki as well as legal wife to Sultan Selim II. Nurbanu’s influential career as valide sultan established the precedent of valide sultan maintaining more power than her nearest harem rival, the haseki, or favorite concubine of the reigning sultan. The following influential valide sultans, Safiye Sultan, Kösem Sultan and Turhan Sultan, maintained this precedent and occupied positions of extreme power within

18328-416: The size of the Imperial Harem from 1574 to 1595. By the mid 18th century, an imperial hall, also known as the "privy chamber," took on Europeanizing decorations and inscriptions dating from the renovations made by Osman III. This was a spacious, domed hall that overlooked the garden and was the place where official ceremonies and festivities took place. The Queen Mother's quarters during this time consisted of

18486-471: The small and large rooms of the palace school. The small, indented stone on the ground in front of the gate marks the place where the banner of Muhammad was unfurled. The Grand Vizier or the commander going to war was entrusted with this banner in a solemn ceremony. Beyond the Gate of Felicity is the Third Courtyard ( III. Avlu ), also called the Inner Palace ( Enderûn Avlusu ), which is the heart of

18644-457: The south of the palace. This massive gate, originally dating from 1478, is now covered in 19th-century marble. Its central arch leads to a high-domed passage; gilded Ottoman calligraphy adorns the structure at the top, with verses from the Qur'an and tughras of the sultans. The tughras of Mehmed II and Abdulaziz , who renovated the gate, have been identified. According to old documents, there

18802-424: The sultan a child, preferably a son. The kadıns , or official concubines, were individually ranked by the sultan in order of preference. Most sultans kept four kadıns . These women had the social, but not legal, status of wife. The first kadın reported was during the reign of Mehmed IV . Baş kadın : The first/most senior slave consorts were called baş kadın or birinci kadin . The consort who held

18960-443: The sultan as consorts, and those who worked in the service of the sultan, the dynasic family, and other high-ranking members of the harem. All women and girls would enter the harem as acemi cariyes and work their way up to acemilik. The next step was sakird (apprentices), with the goal of being promoted to a gedikli (directly waiting on the sultan), usta (mistress), or even kadin (consort), if they were lucky. The cariye s with whom

19118-421: The sultan shared his bed became a member of the dynasty and might rise in rank to attain the status of gözde ('the favorite'), ikbal ('the fortunate') or kadin ('the woman/wife'). The highest position was the valide sultan , the legal mother of the sultan who, herself, used to be a wife or a concubine of the sultan's father and rose to the supreme rank in the harem. No court lady could enter or leave

19276-538: The sultan was allowed to enter the gate on horseback. This was also a Byzantine tradition taken from the Chalke Gate of the Great Palace . The Fountain of the Executioner ( Cellat Çeşmesi ) is where the executioner purportedly washed his hands and sword after a decapitation , though there is disagreement about whether the fountain was actually used for this purpose. It is located on the right side when facing

19434-664: The sultan's children were also entitled sultan , with imperial princes ( şehzade ) carrying the title before their given name, with imperial princesses carrying it after. For example, Şehzade Sultan Mehmed and Mihrimah Sultan were the son and daughter of Suleiman the Magnificent. Like imperial princesses, the living mother and main consort of reigning sultans also carried the title after their given names, for example, Hafsa Sultan , Suleiman's mother and first valide sultan , and Hürrem Sultan , Suleiman's chief consort and first haseki sultan . The evolving usage of this title reflected power shifts among imperial women, especially between

19592-424: The sultan's daughters, who were also called sultans. These princesses were admired and could rival their father for popularity and recognition. They were also useful for the political alliances their marriages secured for the empire. These women were known throughout the empire and had important reputations to uphold. Consequently, only a small fraction of the women in the harem actually engaged in sexual relations with

19750-479: The sultan's family run by the Queen Mother . The rank of individuals residing in the harem was reflected in its architecture. Quarters were continuously remodeled according to new requirements and changing fashions. This resulted in harem space being a collection of ever more fragmented units. In 1842, the Dolmabahçe Palace started to be built. It was created for entertainment and "relaxation" purposes. In 1856,

19908-419: The sultan's power. His ownership of women, mostly slaves, was a sign of wealth, power, and sexual prowess. The emphasis on seclusion of the harem and dynastic life away from the public gaze also communicated his power, as only those closest to him had the privilege to interact with him privately. The only person in the harem with "ritual and retinue appropriate to her status," was the valide sultan. The institution

20066-488: The sultan, as most were destined to marry members of the Ottoman political elite, or else to continue service to the valide sultan. Within the harem, the valide sultan and the sultan's favorite concubine or concubines were effectively able to create factional support for themselves and their sons, creating a bridge between the palace and the outside world. Harem politics revolved around the establishment of matrilineal legacies and finding ways to garner alliances and support from

20224-468: The title baş kadın was in the second rank and most powerful after the valide sultan in the harem. She had a great influence in the harem. Before the creation and after the abolition of the title haseki , the title baş kadın was the most powerful position among the sultan's consorts. A sultan did not have more than four kadin s (the same law used for legal wives in Islam). Their position as

20382-559: The title valide hatun (title for living mother of reigning Ottoman sultan before 16th century) also turned into valide sultan . This usage underlines the Ottoman conception of sovereign power as family prerogative. Western tradition knows the Ottoman ruler as sultan , but the Ottomans themselves used padişah (emperor) or hünkar to refer to their ruler. The emperor's formal title consisted of sultan together with khan (for example, Sultan Suleiman Khan). In formal address,

20540-430: The treasury building is a target stone ( Nişan Taşı ), which is over two metres tall. This stone was erected in commemoration of a record rifle shot by Selim III in 1790. It was brought to the palace from Levend in the 1930s. The arms collection ( Silah Seksiyonu Sergi Salonu ), which consists primarily of weapons that remained in the palace at the time of its conversion, is one of the richest assemblages of Islamic arms in

20698-632: The treasury, called hazine where the Spoonmaker's Diamond and the Topkapi Dagger are on display. The museum collection also includes Ottoman clothing , weapons , armor, miniatures , religious relics, and illuminated manuscripts such as the Topkapi manuscript . Officials of the ministry as well as armed guards of the Turkish military guard the complex. The Topkapı Palace forms a part

20856-467: The valide sultan spearheaded one of the most crucial elements of diplomacy within the Ottoman Empire’s court: marriages of royal princesses. The most powerful and influential valide sultans had multiple daughters, with whom they forged crucial alliances through by marriage. During the 17th century, in a period known as the Sultanate of Women , a series of incompetent or child sultans raised the role of

21014-431: The walls of the chamber were covered with mosaic works spangled with azure and gold; the exterior of the fireplace of this chamber of solid silver and covered with gold, and at one side of the chamber from a fountain water gushed forth from a wall." The present throne in the form of a baldachin was made on the order of Mehmed III. On the lacquered ceiling of the throne, studded with jewels, are foliage patterns accompanied by

21172-412: The white eunuchs, acting as a chief servant and procurer. Valide sultan : The valide sultan was the mother of the reigning sultan and the most powerful woman in the harem, not to mention the empire. She was the absolute authority in the seraglio, and she, with the help of the kapı ağa and the kızlar ağası , often her confidantes, or even men she herself had chosen upon her accession, had

21330-442: The women's ignorance of life outside the harem: "If they stay it is because they wish to stay, and are therefore happy. Their existence, however, seems a most heartrending waste of human life." Her analysis of cruel and antiquated Ottoman practices was not limited to the concubines, as she described her interaction with eunuchs : "It is difficult for me, however, to remember that these poor mutilated anachronisms are great personages at

21488-410: The word valide is [vaː.liˈde] . Sultan ( سلطان , sulṭān ) is an Arabic word originally meaning 'authority' or 'dominion'. By the beginning of the 16th century, this title, carried by both men and women of the Ottoman dynasty, was replacing other titles by which prominent members of the imperial family had been known (notably hatun for women and bey for men). Consequently,

21646-474: The world, with examples spanning 1,300 years from the 7th to the 20th centuries. The palace's collection of arms and armor consists of objects manufactured by the Ottomans themselves, or gathered from foreign conquests, or given as presents. Ottoman weapons form the bulk of the collection, but it also includes examples of Umayyad and Abbasid swords, as well as Mamluk and Persian armor, helmets, swords and axes. A lesser number of European and Asian arms make up

21804-476: Was 2000 aspers, an extraordinary sum for the time, which revealed the highly influential position she held at court. The valide sultan also maintained special privileges that other harem members could not participate in. A valide sultan was not subject to sole seclusion within the confines of the palace. She had mobility outside of the harem, sometimes through ceremonial visibility to the public or veiled meetings with government officials and diplomats. Additionally,

21962-412: Was a strong sense of institutional continuity and unchangingly rigid hierarchies within the harem. The valide sultan , the sultan's mother, held power over the harem and this power sometimes extended over aspects of society. She was the custodian of imperial power, and worked to consolidate both her son's rule and continuation of the dynasty. She resided at the top of the female hierarchy. Next in line were

22120-465: Was a wooden apartment above the gate area until the second half of the 19th century. It was used as a pavilion by Mehmed, a depository for the properties of those who died inside the palace without heirs and the receiving department of the treasury. It has also been used as a vantage point for the ladies of the harem on special occasions. Surrounded by high walls, the First Courtyard ( I. Avlu or Alay Meydanı ) functioned as an outer precinct or park and

22278-437: Was another ("inner") treasury in the Third Courtyard, this one was also called "outer treasury" ( dış hazine ). Although it contains no dated inscriptions, its construction technique and plan suggest that it was built at the end of the 15th century during the reign of Süleiman I. It subsequently underwent numerous alterations and renovations. It is a hall built of stone and brick with eight domes, each 5 x 11.40 m. This treasury

22436-420: Was away at war. He even had grand monuments built to exhibit his love for her. She became known as Haseki, "the favorite," but some accused her of seducing Suleiman with sorcery. Many in the Ottoman court were bewildered by Suleiman's total devotion to one woman and the ensuing radical changes in the harem hierarchy. But Roxelana's great perseverance, intelligence, and willpower gave her the edge over other women in

22594-534: Was created by Kösem Sultan and officially used only by her during the reign of her grandson Mehmed IV , thus limiting the power of Turhan Sultan who was deemed too young to fulfill the title of Valide Sultan. The official and unofficial Büyük Valide Sultans that lived in the reign of their grandsons are: Topkap%C4%B1 Palace#Harem The Topkapı Palace ( Turkish : Topkapı Sarayı ; Ottoman Turkish : طوپقپو سرايى , romanized :  ṭopḳapu sarāyı , lit.   'Cannon Gate Palace'), or

22752-403: Was depicted by European artists, French artists, writers, and travelers. As Leslie Peirce writes, Europe found that all the power that the Ottoman Empire had was established in the Harem. According to Scott, through their depictions of the Harem, members of European imperial powers imposed their constructions of social organization onto other cultures, assuming their social hierarchies as "part of

22910-576: Was in charge of 300 to 900 white eunuchs as head of the "Inner Service" (the palace bureaucracy, controlling all messages, petitions, and State documents addressed to the Sultan), head of the Palace School , gatekeeper-in-chief, head of the infirmary, and master of ceremonies of the Seraglio, and was originally the only one allowed to speak to the Sultan in private. In 1591, Murad III began to give

23068-459: Was introduced in the Turkish society with adoption of Islam, under the influence of the Arab caliphate , which the Ottomans emulated. To ensure the obedience of the women, many were bought and kept in slavery. However, not all members of the harem were slaves. The main wives, especially those taken into marriage to consolidate personal and dynastic alliances, were free women. This was the exception, not

23226-409: Was not as actively gendered in a strict binary, because the privacy of both male and female members of the imperial family symbolized their power over the rest of society. Western depictions of the imperial harem also worked to gender the meaning of the title sultan. Western tradition made this term synonymous with the male ruler of the empire, while the Ottomans themselves utilized this term to denote

23384-600: Was originally called the " New Palace " ( Yeni Saray or Saray-ı Cedîd-i Âmire ) to distinguish it from the Old Palace ( Eski Saray or Sarây-ı Atîk-i Âmire ) in Beyazıt Square . It was given the name Topkapı , meaning Cannon Gate , in the 19th century. The complex expanded over the centuries, with major renovations after the 1509 earthquake and the 1665 fire. The palace complex consists of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. Female members of

23542-430: Was probably completed around 1465, during the reign of Mehmed II. It received its final appearance around 1525–1529 during the reign of Suleyman I. It is surrounded by the former palace hospital, bakery, Janissary quarters, stables, the imperial harem and Divan to the north and the kitchens to the south. At the end of the courtyard, the Gate of Felicity marks the entrance to the Third Courtyard. Numerous artifacts from

23700-585: Was probably originally constructed under Mehmed II and then renovated and enlarged by Suleiman I between 1527 and 1529. Sultan Mahmud II rebuilt the lantern of the tower in 1825 while retaining the Ottoman base. The tall windows with engaged columns and the Renaissance pediments evoke the Palladian style. The building where the arms and armor are exhibited was originally one of the palace treasuries ( Dîvân-ı Hümâyûn Hazinesi / Hazine-ı Âmire ). Since there

23858-534: Was redecorated in the rococo style in 1774 under Sultan Mustafa III and during the reign of Mahmud II. The gate is further decorated with Qur'anic verses above the entrance and tuğra s. The ceiling is partly painted and gold-leafed, with a golden ball hanging from the middle. The sides with baroque decorative elements and miniature paintings of landscapes. The Sultan used this gate and the Divan Meydanı square only for special ceremonies. The Sultan sat before

24016-486: Was renovated in 1723 by Sultan Ahmed III . It was destroyed in the fire of 1856 and rebuilt during the reign of Abdülmecid I . The main throne room is located inside the audience chamber. According to a contemporary account by envoy Cornelius Duplicius de Schepper in 1533: "The Emperor was seated on a slightly elevated throne completely covered with gold cloth, replete and strewn with numerous precious stones, and there were on all sides many cushions of inestimable value;

24174-485: Was so important that a sultan descended from a European mother was more than 70 percent less likely to orient the empire's imperial venture in the West. For the perpetuation and service of the Ottoman dynasty , slave girls were either captured in war, given as gifts to the Sultan and the dynastic family on special occasions, recruited within the empire, or procured from neighbouring countries to become imperial court ladies ( cariyes ). The number of female slaves within

24332-399: Was the chief black eunuch of the Ottoman seraglio . The title literally means 'chief of the girls', and he was charged with the protection and maintenance of the harem women. Kapı ağası : Whereas the kızlar ağası was responsible for guarding the virtue of the odalisques , the kapı ağası was a chamberlain to the ladies. His name means "lord of the door," and he was the chief of

24490-643: Was uncommon among British authors at that time. Montagu believed that conditions were worse for women in Europe than they were for women in the harem. In championing the way in which Ottoman women were treated, it appears Montagu may have been trying to bolster the feminist agenda in England. Like other female writers, Lady Mary also focused on the appearance of the women and their homes as markers of social status: ornate decoration, detailed dresses, and an abundance of jewels reflected higher social status. Lady Mary compares

24648-680: Was used by the Ottomans as a storehouse and imperial armoury. This courtyard was also known as the Court of the Janissaries or the Parade Court. Court officials and janissaries would line the path dressed in their best garb. Visitors entering the palace would follow the path towards the Gate of Salutation and the Second Courtyard of the palace. The large Gate of Salutation, also known as the Middle Gate (Turkish: Orta Kapı ), leads into

24806-534: Was used for imperial processions during the Byzantine and Ottoman era. It leads directly to the Hagia Sophia and turns northwest towards the palace square to the Fountain of Ahmed III . The Imperial Gate is the main entrance into the First Courtyard. The sultan would enter the palace through the Imperial Gate ( Turkish : Bâb-ı Hümâyûn , meaning 'royal gate' in Persian , or Saltanat Kapısı ) located to

24964-414: Was used to finance the administration of the state. The kaftans given as presents to the viziers, ambassadors and residents of the palace by the financial department and the sultan and other valuable objects were also stored here. The janissaries were paid their quarterly wages (called ulufe ) from this treasury, which was closed by the imperial seal entrusted to the grand vizier. In 1928, four years after

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