The Harem of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey

koskl (67)in #travel • 8 years ago (edited)

Hello friends,

Today I will talk about the Imperial Harem of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.

The word "Harem" in Arabic language means “a holy place that everyone is not allowed to enter”. It is a term which defines intimate family life.

The Harem in Topkapı Palace was the living space of the Sultan, the Sultan's Mother, and the rest of his family. It also accommodated concubines, servants, and the Black Eunuchs, who were the protectors of the Harem. Expanded through the additions made by each Sultan, the Topkapı Palace Harem today consists of about 300 rooms, 9 baths, 2 mosques, 1 hospital, 1 laundry, and numerous wards of different kinds (1).

The double height room pictured below at the entrance of the Harem is called the Hall with the Fountain, due to the marble fountain which was there. What you see is its renovated form after the 1665 Harem fire. Entrance beyond this point was under the control of the Harem's Eunuchs. The fountain after which this space was named is currently at the Privy Chamber of Murat III. The walls of the Hall are covered with 17th century Kütahya tiles (2).

Hall with the Fountain

The Eunuchs of the Harem were mostly chosen from the Central African territories of the Empire, and in particular among those of Abyssinian origin. They were trained and educated in a strict discipline. Their main functions were to guard the gates and control access to the Harem, accompany the carriages, and let no one from the outside enter the Harem.

Black Eunuch guarding the Sultan's Concubines from istanbulturkeybook.com

The main entrance (Cümle Kapısı) separates the part of the Harem, in which the family and the concubines of the Sultan resided, from the Courtyard of the Eunuchs. The door on the left of the sentry post leads to the Court of the Concubines. The door in the middle leads to the Court of the Queen Mother, and the door to the right leads to the Sultan's Quarters (3) .

Main Entrance (Cümle Kapısı)

Door leading to the Court of the Concubines

Women whose sons ascended the throne as a monarch acquired the title of “Queen Mother" (Valide Sultan), and moved from the Old Palace in Bayezit to the Topkapı Palace by means of a grand ceremony called the Queen Mother Procession (Valide Alayı).

The powers of the Queen Mothers, considered the highest authority in charge of the Harem, rose significantly, in particular during the 17th century where many of the Sultans ascended the throne at very young age. However, the queen mothers whose ruling son died or was dethroned had to return to the Old Palace together with all their entourage, thus putting an end to their reign.

The Queen Mother’s Apartments were built by Court Architects Mimar Sinan and Davut Agha in the 1580’s, but had to be renovated following the 1665 Harem fire (4).

Apartments of the Queen Mother

The next pictures show the Imperial Hall where ceremonies and weddings took place. The Sultan’s Throne and the gallery of the Valide Sultan are shown in the pictures. This Hall, which has the largest dome of the Palace, served as the official reception hall of the Sultan, as well as for the entertainment of the Harem.

A secret door behind a mirror allowed the Sultan a safe passage. One door admits to the Queen Mother’s apartments, another to the Sultan's Hammam. There are also doors to a series of ante-chambers (5).

Throne Room / Imperial Hall

The small but colorful Privy Chamber of Ahmet III was built in 1705 with walls adorned with floral and fruit compositions. It was also known as the Fruit Room (Yemiş Odası), and probably used for dining purposes by the Sultans. The room is covered with a vaulted and ornamented wooden ceiling, and features also a small fireplace situated between the windows (6).

Fruit Room /Privy Room of Ahmed III

The Twin Kiosks / Apartments of the Crown Prince consist of two privy chambers built in the 17th century for the use of the Crown Princes. The walls are covered with the highest quality Iznik tiles, and the window frames are gilded (7).

The Twin Pavilions / Apartments of the Crown Prince

The Mabeyn Courtyard forms the last section of the Harem, and overlooks the Boxwood Garden (Şimşirlik Bahçesi). The courtyard was initially closed for women, but eventually opened up to them with the construction of the Apartments of the Favourites (Gözdeler Dairesi) for the Favourites (official Consorts) of Sultan Abdülhamit I (8).

Apartments of the Sultan’s Favorites and the Mabeyn Courtyard

The concubines were living a life of luxury, but their freedom was limited. They could not venture out of doors unescorted, but they could glimpse the outside world through the window sills of their golden cage.