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144-542: The name originates from the Greek word psamathion ( Ψαμάθιον ), meaning "sandy", because of the great quantity of sand found in the quarter. About 383 AD, the first monastic institution was established in Constantinople, at Psamatheia, at that time still outside the walled city . Up to recent times, Samatya was mostly inhabited by Armenians , who were settled here in 1458 by Sultan Mehmet II , and who own there

288-458: A Victory , which was cast down in the reign of Michael III ; and a crowned Fortune of the city. In 965, Nikephoros II Phokas installed the captured bronze city gates of Mopsuestia in the place of the original ones. The main gate itself was covered by an outer wall, pierced by a single gate, which in later centuries was flanked by an ensemble of reused marble reliefs. According to descriptions of Pierre Gilles and English travelers from

432-462: 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 a fire its name was transferred to the palace. In Turkish the current name of the palace, Topkapı , means 'Cannon Gate'. The palace complex

576-450: A 1.5 m tall crenellated wall on the inner side, serving as a first line of defence. Transverse walls cross the moat, tapering towards the top so as not to be used as bridges. Some of them have been shown to contain pipes carrying water into the city from the hill country to the city's north and west. Their role has therefore been interpreted as that of aqueducts for filling the moat and as dams dividing it into compartments and allowing

720-468: A cave under the earth near the Golden Gate, where he waits to be brought to life again to conquer the city back for Christians. The legend explained the later walling up of the gate as a Turkish precaution against this prophecy. After his conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II built a new fort in 1458. By adding three larger towers to the four pre-existing ones (towers 8 to 11) on

864-514: A corruption of the ta Meltiadou quarter, and places the gate to the west of the Mocius cistern. Other authors identified it with the Gate of Adrianople (A. M. Schneider) or with the Gate of Rhesios (A. J. Mordtmann). The double Theodosian Walls ( Greek : τεῖχος Θεοδοσιακόν , teichos Theodosiakon ), located about 2 km (1.2 miles) to the west of the old Constantinian Wall, were erected during

1008-575: A kind of stoa . In late Byzantine times, a painting of the Crucifixion was allegedly placed on the gate, leading to its later Ottoman name, İsakapı ("Gate of Jesus "). It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1509 , but its approximate location is known through the presence of the nearby İsakapı Mescidi mosque. The identity and location of the Gate of At[t]alos ( Πόρτα Ἀτ[τ]άλου , Porta At[t]alou ) are unclear. Cyril Mango identifies it with

1152-475: A new set of walls, located some 300–400 m to the west of the old ones. Little is known of the Severan Wall save for a short description of its course by Zosimus and that its main gate was located at the end of a porticoed avenue (the first part of the later Mese ) and shortly before the entrance of the later Forum of Constantine . The wall seems to have extended from near the modern Galata Bridge in

1296-409: 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

1440-445: A prophecy, it was this gate that Western Emperor Frederick Barbarossa would enter the city through. It was re-opened in 1346, but closed again before the siege of 1453 and remained closed until 1886, leading to its early Ottoman name, Kapalı Kapı ("Closed Gate"). The gate ( Πύλη τοῦ Δευτέρου ) is located between towers 30 and 31, little remains of the original gate, and the modern reconstruction may not be accurate. The Gate of

1584-632: A section of the foundation of the wall of Constantine. The names of a number of gates of the Constantinian Wall survive, but scholars debate their identity and exact location. The Old Golden Gate (Latin: Porta Aurea , Ancient Greek: Χρυσεία Πύλη ), known also as the Xerolophos Gate and the Gate of Saturninus, is mentioned in the Notitia Urbis Constantinopolitanae , which further states that

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1728-605: A series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul in Turkey ) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great . With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity , and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. Initially built by Constantine

1872-420: A terrace, the peribolos ( περίβολος ). Between the outer wall and the moat ( σοῦδα , souda ) there stretched an outer terrace, the parateichion ( τὸ ἔξω παρατείχιον ), while a low breastwork crowned the moat's eastern escarpment. Access to both terraces was possible through posterns on the sides of the walls' towers. The inner wall is a solid structure, 4.5–6 m thick and 12 m high. It

2016-655: 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

2160-411: 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

2304-404: Is faced with carefully cut limestone blocks, while its core is filled with mortar made of lime and crushed bricks. Between seven and eleven bands of brick , approximately 40 cm thick, traverse the structure, not only as a form of decoration, but also strengthening the cohesion of the structure by bonding the stone façade with the mortar core, and increasing endurance to earthquakes . The wall

2448-460: Is impossible to ascertain, as it lies buried beneath the modern city. From the Sea of Marmara, the wall turns sharply to the northeast until it reaches the Golden Gate, at about 14 m above sea level. From there and until the Gate of Rhegion the wall follows a more or less straight line to the north, climbing the city's Seventh Hill. From there the wall turns sharply to the northeast, climbing up to

2592-708: Is known with certainty, aside from the Old Golden Gate, is the Gate of Saint Aemilianus ( Πόρτα τοῦ ἁγίου Αἰμιλιανοῦ , Porta tou hagiou Aimilianou ), named in Turkish Davutpaşa Kapısı . It lay at the juncture with the sea walls , and served the communication with the coast. According to the Chronicon Paschale , the Church of St Mary of Rhabdos, where the Rod of Moses was kept, stood next to

2736-777: 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 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,

2880-529: 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

3024-439: Is of middle or late Byzantine construction. The corresponding gate in the outer wall was preserved until the early 20th century, but has since disappeared. It is very likely that this gate is to be identified with the Gate of Kalagros ( Πύλη τοῦ Καλάγρου ). Modern Yeni Mevlevihane Kapısı , located between towers 50 and 51 is commonly referred to as the Gate of Rhegion ( Πόρτα Ῥηγίου ) in early modern texts, allegedly named after

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3168-586: Is the Gate of Melantias ( Πόρτα τῆς Μελαντιάδος , Porta tēs Melantiados ), whose location is also debated. Van Millingen considered it to be a gate of the Theodosian Wall (the Pege Gate ), while more recently, Janin and Mango have rebutted this, suggesting that it was located on the Constantinian Wall. While Mango identifies it with the Gate of the Prodromos, Janin considers the name to have been

3312-446: Is the first gate to be encountered. It was the main ceremonial entrance into the capital, used especially for the occasions of a triumphal entry of an emperor into the capital on the occasion of military victories or other state occasions such as coronations. On rare occasions, as a mark of honor, the entry through the gate was allowed to non-imperial visitors: papal legates (in 519 and 868) and, in 710, to Pope Constantine . The Gate

3456-468: 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

3600-549: 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

3744-542: The peribolos by small posterns. Generally speaking, most of the surviving towers of the main wall have been rebuilt in Byzantine or Ottoman times, and only the foundations of some are of original Theodosian construction. Furthermore, while until the Komnenian period , the reconstructions largely remained true to the original model, later modifications ignored the windows and embrasures on the upper story and focused on

3888-527: The Avar–Sassanian coalition, Arabs , Rus' , and Bulgars , among others. The fortifications retained their usefulness after the advent of gunpowder siege cannons, which played a part in the city's fall to Ottoman forces in 1453 but were not able to breach its walls. The walls were largely maintained intact during most of the Ottoman period until sections began to be dismantled in the 19th century, as

4032-668: The Eminönü quarter south through the vicinity of the Nuruosmaniye Mosque to curve around the southern wall of the Hippodrome, and then going northeast to meet the old walls near the Bosporus. The Patria also mentions the existence of another wall during the siege of Byzantium by Constantine the Great during the latter's conflict with Licinius , in 324. The text mentions that a fore-wall ( proteichisma ) ran near

4176-659: 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 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

4320-467: The Philadephion , located at about the middle of the later, Constantinian city, suggesting the expansion of the city beyond the Severan Wall by this time. Like Severus before him, Constantine began to punish the city for siding with his defeated rival, but he too soon realised the advantages of Byzantium's location. From 324 to 336, the city was thoroughly rebuilt and inaugurated on 11 May 330 under

4464-760: The Propontis coast to the area of the Palace of the Porphyrogenitus ( Turkish : Tekfur Sarayı ) in the Blachernae quarter. The outer wall and the moat terminate even earlier, at the height of the Gate of Adrianople. The section between the Blachernae and the Golden Horn does not survive since the line of the walls was later brought forward to cover the suburb of Blachernae, and its original course

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4608-714: 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 the Historic Areas of Istanbul , a group of sites in Istanbul that UNESCO recognised as

4752-498: 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

4896-464: The tower terrace as the sole fighting platform . The outer wall was 2 m thick at its base, and featured arched chambers on the level of the peribolos , crowned with a battlemented walkway, reaching a height of 8.5–9 m. Access to the outer wall from the city was provided either through the main gates or through small posterns on the base of the inner wall's towers. The outer wall likewise had towers, situated approximately midway between

5040-543: The 17th century, these reliefs were arranged in two tiers, and featured mythological scenes, including the Labours of Hercules . These reliefs, lost since the 17th century with the exception of some fragments now in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum , were probably put in place in the 9th or 10th centuries to form the appearance of a triumphal gate. According to other descriptions, the outer gate

5184-531: 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

5328-496: The 9th century: the 11th-century historian Kedrenos records that the "wall at Exokionion", likely a portion of the Constantinian wall, collapsed in an earthquake in 867. Only traces of the wall appear to have survived in later ages, although Alexander van Millingen states that some parts survived in the region of the İsakapı until the early 19th century. In 2018 the construction of Yenikapı Transfer Center unearthed

5472-478: 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

5616-424: 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

5760-422: The Gate of Myriandr[i]on or Polyandrion ("Place of Many Men"), possibly a reference to its proximity to a cemetery. It is the best-preserved of the gates, and retains substantially unaltered from its original, 5th-century appearance. The so-called Fourth Military Gate stands between towers 59 and 60, and is currently walled up. Recently, it has been suggested that this gate is actually the Gate of St. Romanus, but

5904-418: The Gate of Rhegion and the Gate of Charisius, can be established directly from the literary evidence. In the traditional nomenclature, established by Philipp Anton Dethier in 1873, the gates are distinguished into the "Public Gates" and the "Military Gates", which alternated over the course of the walls. According to Dethier's theory, the former were given names and were open to civilian traffic, leading across

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6048-531: The Gate of Rhegion to the Fifth Military Gate (by B. Tsangadas) or from the Gate of St. Romanus to the Gate of Adrianople (by van Millingen). The walls survived the entire Ottoman period and appeared in travelogues of foreign visitors to Constantinople/Istanbul. A 16th-century Chinese geographical treatise, for example, recorded, "Its city has two walls. A sovereign prince lives in the city...". The wall contained nine main gates, which pierced both

6192-612: 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

6336-534: The Gate of St. Romanus, located near the peak of the Seventh Hill at some 68 m above sea level. From there the wall descends into the valley of the river Lycus, where it reaches its lowest point at 35 m above sea level. Climbing the slope of the Sixth Hill, the wall then rises up to the Gate of Charisius or Gate of Adrianople, at some 76 m height. From the Gate of Adrianople to the Blachernae,

6480-507: The Golden Gate's construction is uncertain, with scholars divided between Theodosius I and Theodosius II . Earlier scholars favored the former, but the current majority view tends to the latter, meaning that the gate was constructed as an integral part of the Theodosian Walls. The debate has been carried over to a now-lost Latin inscription in metal letters that stood above the doors and commemorated their gilding in celebration of

6624-554: The Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger. They saved the city, and the Byzantine Empire with it, during sieges by

6768-459: 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 the imperial treasury, library and mint. After the end of

6912-776: The Istanbul Educational and Research Hospital İstanbul Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi. Samatya has a station (named "Kocamustafapaşa") on the T6 line Sirkeci - Kazlıçeşme . 41°00′N 28°56′E  /  41.000°N 28.933°E  / 41.000; 28.933 This geographical article about a location in Istanbul Province , Turkey is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Walls of Constantinople#Constantinian Walls The Walls of Constantinople ( Turkish : Konstantinopolis Surları ; Greek : Τείχη της Κωνσταντινουπόλης ) are

7056-478: 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

7200-628: 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

7344-501: The Old Golden Gate; van Millingen places it on the Seventh Hill, at a height probably corresponding to one of the later gates of the Theodosian Wall in that area; and Raymond Janin places it further north, across the Lycus and near the point where the river passed under the wall. In earlier centuries, it was decorated with many statues, including one of Constantine, which fell down in an earthquake in 740. The only gate whose location

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7488-687: 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 the treasury, called hazine where the Spoonmaker's Diamond and

7632-494: 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

7776-485: The Second Military Gate, which is located further north. Its name derives from the fact that it led to a wooden circus ( amphitheatre ) outside the walls. The gate complex is approximately 12 m wide and almost 20 m high, while the gate itself spans 5 m. According to a story related by Niketas Choniates , in 1189 the gate was walled off by Emperor Isaac II Angelos , because according to

7920-806: The Spring or Pēgē Gate ( Πύλη τῆς Πηγῆς in Greek) was named after a popular monastery outside the Walls, the Zōodochos Pēgē (" Life-giving Spring ") in the modern suburb of Balıklı . Its modern Turkish name, Gate of Selymbria (Tr. Silivri Kapısı or Silivrikapı , Gk. Πύλη τῆς Συλημβρίας ), appeared in Byzantine sources shortly before 1453. It lies between the heptagonal towers 35 and 36, which were extensively rebuilt in later Byzantine times: its southern tower bears an inscription dated to 1439 commemorating repairs carried out under John VIII Palaiologos . The gate arch

8064-532: 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

8208-525: 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

8352-670: 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 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

8496-422: The area of the Hagia Sophia , in a loop towards the northeast, crossed the regions known as Topoi and Arcadianae and reached the sea at the later quarter of Mangana. This wall was protected by twenty-seven towers and had at least two landward gates, one which survived to become known as the Arch of Urbicius, and one where the Milion monument was later located. On the seaward side, the wall was much lower. Although

8640-449: The author of the Patria asserts that this wall dated to the time of Byzas, the French researcher Raymond Janin thinks it more likely that it reflects the situation after the city was rebuilt by the Spartan general Pausanias , who conquered the city in 479 BC. This wall is known to have been repaired, using tombstones, under the leadership of a certain Leo in 340 BC, against an attack by Philip II of Macedon . Byzantium

8784-425: The besiegers when they ran out of other projectiles. Severus punished the city harshly: the strong walls were demolished, and the town was deprived of its civic status, being reduced to a mere village dependent on Heraclea Perinthus . However, appreciating the city's strategic importance, Severus eventually rebuilt it and endowed it with many monuments, including a Hippodrome and the Baths of Zeuxippus , as well as

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8928-425: 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

9072-405: The church of Surp Kevork , also called Sulu Manastiri (Water's monastery) – previously an Eastern Orthodox church which dates back to before the Ottoman conquest , and by Greeks , who have the churches of Hristos Analipsis and Haghios Menas . The quarter was destroyed in 1782 by one of the largest fires of Istanbul ever recorded. In Samatya there is also an important public hospital,

9216-444: The city outgrew its medieval boundaries. Despite lack of maintenance, many parts of the walls survived and are still standing today. A large-scale restoration program has been underway since the 1980s. According to tradition, the city was founded as Byzantium by Greek colonists from the Attic town of Megara , led by the eponymous Byzas , around 658 BC. The city then consisted of a small region around an acropolis located on

9360-399: The city wall itself in the region around it was "ornately decorated". The gate stood somewhere on the southern slopes of the Seventh Hill. Its construction is often attributed to Constantine, but is in fact of uncertain age. It survived until the 14th century, when the Byzantine scholar Manuel Chrysoloras described it as being built of "wide marble blocks with a lofty opening", and crowned by

9504-441: The city's "inner wall" from an earthquake on 25 September 478, which likely refers to the Constantinian wall. When repairs were being undertaken, to prevent an invasion by Atilla , the Blues and Greens, the supporters of chariot-racing teams , supplied 16,000 men between them for the building effort. Theophanes the Confessor reports renewed earthquake damage in 557 . It appears that large parts survived relatively intact until

9648-443: 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

9792-448: 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

9936-465: 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

10080-421: 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

10224-412: The damage. Theodosius II ordered the praetorian prefect Constantine to supervise the repairs, made all the more urgent as the city was threatened by the presence of Attila the Hun in the Balkans . Employing the city's chariot-racing factions in the work, the walls were restored in a record 60 days, according to the Byzantine chroniclers and three inscriptions found in situ . It is at this date that

10368-515: 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

10512-407: The defeat of an unnamed usurper: Haec loca Theudosius decorat post fata tyranni. aurea saecla gerit qui portam construit auro. (English translation) Theodosius adorned these places after the downfall of the tyrant. He brought a golden age who built the gate from gold. While the legend has not been reported by any known Byzantine author, an investigation of the surviving holes wherein

10656-400: The defeat of the usurper Magnus Maximus (r. 383–388) and was only later incorporated into the Theodosian Walls. The gate, built of large square blocks of polished white marble fitted together without cement, has the form of a triumphal arch with three arched gates, the middle one larger than the two others. The gate is flanked by large square towers, which form the 9th and 10th towers of

10800-427: 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

10944-668: The easternmost hill (corresponding to the modern site of the Topkapı Palace ). According to the late Byzantine Patria of Constantinople , ancient Byzantium was enclosed by a small wall that began on the northern edge of the acropolis, extended west to the Tower of Eugenios, then went south and west towards the Strategion and the Baths of Achilles , continued south to the area known in Byzantine times as Chalkoprateia , and then turned, in

11088-538: The evidence is uncertain. Topkap%C4%B1 Palace The Topkapı Palace ( Turkish : Topkapı Sarayı ; Ottoman Turkish : طوپقپو سرايى , romanized :  ṭopḳapu sarāyı , lit.   'Cannon Gate Palace'), or 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

11232-510: The first tower of the land walls, at the junction with the sea wall. It features a wreathed Chi-Rhō Christogram above it. It is also known as the Tabak Kapı ('Gate of the Tannery') in reference to the nearby leather works. Following the walls from south to north, the Golden Gate (Greek: Χρυσεία Πύλη , Chryseia Pylē ; Latin: Porta Aurea ; Turkish: Altınkapı or Yaldızlıkapı ),

11376-575: The fort by Sultan Bayezid I (r. 1389–1402), who otherwise threatened to blind his son Manuel , whom he held captive. Emperor John VIII Palaiologos attempted to rebuild it in 1434, but was thwarted by threats from Sultan Murad II . According to one of the many Greek legends about the Constantinople's fall to the Ottomans, when the Turks entered the city, an angel rescued the emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos , turned him into marble and placed him in

11520-417: The gate and extending a wall some 350 m to the sea walls, thus forming a separate fortified enceinte inside the city to serve as a final refuge. In the event, John V was soon after forced to flee there from a coup led by his grandson, John VII . The fort held out successfully in the subsequent siege that lasted several months, and in which cannons were possibly employed. In 1391 John V was compelled to raze

11664-580: 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

11808-521: The gate. The Old Gate of the Prodromos ( Παλαιὰ Πόρτα τοῦ Προδρόμου , Palaia Porta tou Prodromou ), named after the nearby Church of St John the Baptist (called Prodromos , "the Forerunner", in Greek), is another unclear case. Van Millingen identifies it with the Old Golden Gate, while Janin considers it to have been located on the northern slope of the Seventh Hill. The last known gate

11952-499: 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

12096-458: 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

12240-707: 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 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

12384-658: The inner Theodosian wall, he formed the Fortress of the Seven Towers ( Turkish : Yedikule Hisarı or Zindanları ). It lost its function as a gate, and for much of the Ottoman era, it was used as a treasury, archive, and state prison. It eventually became a museum in 1895. The Xylokerkos or Xerokerkos Gate ( Πύλη τοῦ Ξυλοκέρκου/Ξηροκέρκου ), now known as the Belgrade Gate ( Belgrat Kapısı ), lies between towers 22 and 23. Alexander van Millingen identified it with

12528-512: The inner Theodosian wall. With the exception of the central portal, the gate remained open to everyday traffic. The structure was richly decorated with numerous statues, including a statue of Theodosius I on an elephant-drawn quadriga on top, echoing the Porta Triumphalis of Rome, which survived until it fell down in the 740 Constantinople earthquake . Other sculptures were a large cross, which fell in an earthquake in 561 or 562;

12672-412: The inner and the outer walls, and a number of smaller posterns . The exact identification of several gates is debatable for a number of reasons. The Byzantine chroniclers provide more names than the number of the gates, the original Greek names fell mostly out of use during the Ottoman period, and literary and archaeological sources provide often contradictory information. Only three gates, the Golden Gate,

12816-477: The inner wall's towers, and acting in supporting role to them. They are spaced at 48–78 m, with an average distance of 50–66 m. Of the outer wall's towers, 62 survive. With few exceptions, they are square or crescent-shaped, 12–14 m tall and 4 m wide. They featured a room with windows on the level of the peribolos , crowned by a battlemented terrace, while their lower portions were either solid or featured small posterns, which allowed access to

12960-737: 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

13104-654: 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

13248-464: The later sea gates of St. Aemilianus and Psamathos. Already by the early 5th century, Constantinople had expanded outside the Constantinian Wall in the extramural area known as the Exokionion or Exakionion . The wall survived during much of the Byzantine period, even though it was replaced by the Theodosian Walls as the city's primary defense. An ambiguous passage refers to extensive damage to

13392-434: The majority of scholars believe the second, outer wall to have been added, as well as a wide moat opened in front of the walls, but the validity of that interpretation is questionable; the outer wall was possibly an integral part of the original fortification concept. Throughout their history, the walls were damaged by earthquakes and floods of the Lycus river . Repairs were undertaken on numerous occasions, as testified by

13536-402: The metal letters were riveted verified its accuracy. It also showed that the first line stood on the western face of the arch, while the second on the eastern. According to the current view, this refers to the usurper Joannes (r. 423–425), while according to the supporters of the traditional view, it indicates the gate's construction as a free-standing triumphal arch in 388–391 to commemorate

13680-487: 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

13824-445: The moat ended at the Gate of St. Romanus, and did not resume until after the Gate of Adrianople. The weakest section of the wall was the so-called Mesoteichion ( Μεσοτείχιον , "Middle Wall"). Modern scholars are not in agreement over the extent of that portion of the wall, which has been variously defined from as narrowly as the stretch between the Gate of St. Romanus and the Fifth Military Gate (by A.M. Schneider) to as broad as from

13968-474: The moat on bridges, and the latter were known by numbers, were restricted to military use and led only to the outer sections of the walls. Today that division is, if retained at all, only a historiographical convention. There is sufficient reason to believe that several of the "Military Gates" were also used by civilian traffic. In addition, a number of them have proper names, and the established sequence of numbering them, based on their perceived correspondence with

14112-468: The name of "New Rome" or "Second Rome". Eventually, the city would most commonly be referred to as Constantinople, the "City of Constantine", in dedication to its founder. New Rome was protected by a new wall about 2.8 km (15 stadia ) west of the Severan wall. Constantine's fortification consisted of a single wall, reinforced with towers at regular distances, which began to be constructed in 324 and

14256-461: The names of certain city quarters lying between the Constantinian and Theodosian Walls, which have numerical origins, has been shown to be erroneous. For instance, the Deuteron , the "Second" Quarter, was located not in the southwest behind the Gate of the Deuteron or "Second Military Gate", as would be expected, but in the northwestern part of the city. The gate is a small postern, which lies at

14400-559: The numerous inscriptions commemorating the emperors or their servants who undertook to restore them. The responsibility for these repairs rested on an official variously known as the Domestic of the Walls or the Count of the Walls ( Δομέστικος/Κόμης τῶν τειχέων , Domestikos/Komēs tōn teicheōn ), who employed the services of the city's populace in this task. After the Latin conquest of 1204,

14544-460: The outer terrace. The outer wall was a formidable defensive edifice in its own right: in the sieges of 1422 and 1453, the Byzantines and their allies, being too few to hold both lines of wall, concentrated on the defence of the outer wall. The moat was situated at a distance of about 20 m from the outer wall. The moat itself was over 20 m wide and as much as 10 m deep, featuring

14688-445: 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

14832-402: 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

14976-563: 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

15120-403: 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

15264-641: 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

15408-468: 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

15552-562: The reign of Emperor Arcadius . This initial construction consisted of a single curtain wall with towers, which now forms the inner circuit of the Theodosian Walls. Both the Constantinian and the original Theodosian walls were severely damaged in two earthquakes, on 25 September 437 and 6 November 447 . The latter was especially powerful and destroyed large parts of the wall, including 57 towers. Subsequent earthquakes, including another major one in January ;448, compounded

15696-613: The reign of Emperor Theodosius II ( r.  402–450 ), after whom they were named. The work was carried out in two phases, with the first phase erected during Theodosius' minority under the direction of Anthemius , the praetorian prefect of the East , and was finished in 413 according to a law in the Codex Theodosianus . An inscription discovered in 1993 however records that the work lasted for nine years, indicating that construction had already begun c.  404/405 , in

15840-574: 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

15984-459: 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

16128-447: 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

16272-573: 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

16416-471: 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

16560-457: 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

16704-500: The suburb of Rhegion (modern Küçükçekmece ), or as the Gate of Rhousios ( Πόρτα τοῦ Ῥουσίου ) after the hippodrome faction of the Reds ( ῥούσιοι , rhousioi ) which was supposed to have taken part in its repair. From Byzantine texts it appears that the correct form is Gate of Rhesios ( Πόρτα Ῥησίου ), named according to the 10th-century Suda lexicon after an ancient general of Greek Byzantium . A.M. Schneider also identifies it with

16848-538: 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

16992-428: The top. Its interior was usually divided by a floor into two chambers, which did not communicate with each other. The lower chamber, which opened through the main wall to the city, was used for storage, while the upper one could be entered from the wall's walkway, and had windows for view and for firing projectiles. Access to the wall was provided by large ramps along their side. The lower floor could also be accessed from

17136-430: 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

17280-434: The walls fall to a level of some 60 m. From there the later walls of Blachernae project sharply to the west, reaching the coastal plain at the Golden Horn near the so-called Prisons of Anemas. The Theodosian Walls consist of the main inner wall ( μέγα τεῖχος , mega teichos , "great wall"), separated from the lower outer wall ( ἔξω τεῖχος , exō teichos or μικρὸν τεῖχος , mikron teichos , "small wall") by

17424-431: The walls fell increasingly into disrepair, and the revived post-1261 Byzantine state lacked the resources to maintain them, except in times of direct threat. In their present state, the Theodosian Walls stretch for about 5.7 km (3.5 mi) from south to north, from the "Marble Tower" ( Turkish : Mermer Kule ), also known as the "Tower of Basil and Constantine " (Greek: Pyrgos Basileiou kai Konstantinou ) on

17568-431: 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

17712-455: The water to be retained over the course of the walls. According to Alexander van Millingen , there is little direct evidence in the accounts of the city's sieges to suggest that the moat was ever actually flooded. In the sections north of the Gate of St. Romanus, the steepness of the slopes of the Lycus valley made the construction maintenance of the moat problematic; it is probable therefore that

17856-474: 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

18000-465: 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

18144-457: Was also topped by a statue of Victory , holding a crown. Despite its ceremonial role, the Golden Gate was one of the strongest positions along the walls of the city and withstood several attacks during the various sieges. With the addition of transverse walls on the peribolos between the inner and outer walls, it formed a virtually separate fortress. Its military value was recognized by John VI Kantakouzenos (r. 1347–1354), who records that it

18288-437: 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

18432-574: Was completed under his son Constantius II (r. 337–361). Only the approximate course of the wall is known: it began at the Church of St. Anthony at the Golden Horn, near the modern Atatürk Bridge , ran southwest and then southwards, passed east of the great open cisterns of Mocius and of Aspar , and ended near the Church of the Theotokos of the Rhabdos on the Propontis coast, somewhere between

18576-437: 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 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

18720-621: Was emulated elsewhere, with several cities naming their principal entrance thus, for instance Thessaloniki (also known as the Vardar Gate) or Antioch (the Gate of Daphne), as well as the Kievan Rus' , who built monumental "Golden Gates" at Kiev and Vladimir . The entrance to San Francisco Bay , California , was similarly named the Golden Gate in the mid-19th century, in a distant historical tribute to Byzantium. The date of

18864-464: 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 the Sultan's family lived in the harem , and leading state officials, including the Grand Vizier , held meetings in

19008-430: 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

19152-585: 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

19296-534: 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

19440-476: Was relatively unimportant during the early Roman period. Contemporaries described it as wealthy, well peopled and well fortified, but that affluence came to an end because the city supported Pescennius Niger ( r.  193–194 ) in his war against Septimius Severus ( r.  193–211 ). According to the account of Cassius Dio , the city held out against Severan forces for three years, until 196, with its inhabitants resorting even to throwing bronze statues at

19584-486: 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;

19728-404: Was replaced in the Ottoman period. In addition, in 1998 a subterranean basement with 4th/5th century reliefs and tombs was discovered underneath the gate. Van Millingen identifies this gate with the early Byzantine Gate of Melantias (Πόρτα Μελαντιάδος), but more recent scholars have proposed the identification of the latter with one of the gates of the city's original Constantinian Wall. It

19872-403: Was strengthened with 96 towers, mainly square but also a few octagonal ones, three hexagonal and a single pentagonal one. They were 15–20 m tall and 10–12 m wide, and placed at irregular distances, according to the rise of the terrain: the intervals vary between 21 and 77 m, although most curtain wall sections measure between 40 and 60 meters. Each tower had a battlemented terrace on

20016-783: Was through this gate that the forces of the Empire of Nicaea , under General Alexios Strategopoulos , entered and retook the city from the Latins on 25 July 1261. The Third Military Gate ( Πύλη τοῦ Τρίτου ), named after the quarter of the Triton ("the Third") that lies behind it, is situated shortly after the Pege Gate, exactly before the C-shaped section of the walls known as the " Sigma ", between towers 39 and 40. It has no Turkish name, and

20160-680: 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

20304-534: 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

20448-486: Was used for triumphal entries until the Komnenian period ; thereafter, the only such occasion was the entry of Michael VIII Palaiologos into the city on 15 August 1261, after its reconquest from the Latins . With the progressive decline in Byzantium's military fortunes, the gates were walled up and reduced in size in the later Palaiologan period , and the complex converted into a citadel and refuge. The Golden Gate

20592-414: 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

20736-401: Was virtually impregnable, capable of holding provisions for three years and defying the whole city if need be. He repaired the marble towers and garrisoned the fort, but had to surrender it to John V Palaiologos (r. 1341–1391) when he abdicated in 1354. John V undid Kantakouzenos' repairs and left it unguarded, but in 1389–90 he too rebuilt and expanded the fortress, erecting two towers behind

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