Excursion of veiled women in the Palace Gardens
Detail of encaustic technique - tiles in front of the 'circumcision' chamber of the Palace
Ever recurring emblem of tulips, which originate in Turkey
Fine detail of painted tiles, blue on blue, poppy motiv
Golden inlaid inscriptions and painted tiles over an arch in Topkapi Palace
The first impression of the Palace cruising by in the Bosphorus....massive protective walls, tall stacks over a row of ovens, where the Palace Kitchens occupied a whole block of the palace.
Courtyard in the Harem - this was a relatively 'plain' one
Wall decorations in the quarters of the Sultan's Mother
Fire Place adornments - painted tiles.
One of the Sultan's Chambers
What maybe called a 'sink', but it is a piece of art.
One of the Sultan's Beds...
Detail over a door, inlaid and tiled and gilded...
Ceiling fixture
Room in the Sultan's Quarters
Flower motivs are prevalent, here a detail of a ceiling freize.
In closing, Topkapi Palace was constructed by Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Mehmet the Conqueror) in 1478. It has been used as an administrative centre of the Ottowman Empire and the residence (including harem) of the Sultans for 380 years.
Topkapi Palace lays atop the Byzantine acropolis on Sarayburnu at the tip of the Istanbul Peninsular. It is surrounded by the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. On the land side the Palace is surrounded by a 1400 meter long high wall called the Royal Walls (Sur-i-Sultani), whilst on the sea side it is bordered by Byzantine walls. The Palace covers approximately 700.000 square meters, a majopr part of which is made up of the Royal Gardens, which are shaded by giant trees and covered in flowerbed. Tulips, as a favourite of Sultans, abound, and one of the Ottoman Eras is actually called the Tulip Era. The Sultans moved to a larger (yes, larger) Palace in Dolmabahce in 1850, however, most of the priceless treasures remained in Topkapi Palace for safekeeping.
The Ottoman Dynasty came to an end in 1922 after almost 700 years of rule, and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk opened the palace as a museum in 1924.
There are 300 rooms, 9 Turkish Baths, 2 mosques and 1 hospital in the Harem part (residential area) of Topkapi alone. Harem means 'Forbidden Place', and was the area for the Sultan's family life. And a large family it was, when counting wifes, concubines, children, officials, black eunuchs, etc etc. Several hundred wifes, potential wives, lovers and lovers in training made up a good part of the household. Girls who were chosen to be educated as potential concubines may have been married of to high officials of the court, if hey did not quite meet the Sheherezade grace and beauty standards. Some remained in the household as preferred aids and servants. Most of their attendants were black eunuchs, which were imported as children and selected from the 'Best' of central Africa and Abessinia. Despite being deprived of their physical masculine attributes at a tender age, they rose to incredible power and influence inside the Harem and played decicive roles in internal palace intrigue - just read 1001 Arabian Nights and one gets the picture. Here inside Topkapi a few assassinations of crownprinces in claustrophobic rockcarved hallways etc. set the tone. Tha lavish audience chambers, for instance, were surrounded by splashing fountains, which were turned on during delicate discussions, as to drown out and voices and avoid being overheard by uninitiated ears. Not even the highest ranking ambassador or foreign ruler was allowed to make even eye-contact with the supreme sultan - otherwise: Off with their Heads!
Obviously the Sultan of the day was the uncontested ruler of the Palace - and the Empire - but the Sultan's mother was a close second in the palace hierarchy. She more or less rules the household. The relative luxury and almost obscene display of excess riches in the private quarters give an idea of the pecking order of the 'Family'. Albeit, life happened inside insurmountable walls and under strict etiquette and protocol, the grounds are veritable delightful Eedens, but - golden cages for the chosen women after all.
Visitors are able to stroll - after machine gun type security guards are passed, several scanning machines, and ever vigilant attendants in every corner - through almost all of the Palaces areas: harem with all the opulent chambers, rooms, courtyards, fountains, fireplaces, tile encrusted ceilings, luxurious furnishings et al, the summr palaces within the Palace, the decadent baths and pools, the circumcision room whose artistic encaustic floral tiles betray its sinister purpose, the Holy Relics Department (one hair of Prophet Mohammed, a mantle and sword of the Prophet as well as a footprint) and last but not least the Treasury Department.
No photos in the latter, but is houses amongst other priceless items the famous Topkapi Dagger, which featured in the 1964 cliff hanger film of a failed robbery - Topkapi.
I spent almost an entire day in this mysterious world within a world, only interrupted by a leisurely respite in the Topkapi Restaurant, which is situated on one of the sea side walls, and as such allows a million dollar vista over Istanbul Harbour and the shores dotted with mosques and their minarets.
It is truly a jewel in Istanbul's Crown - Topkapi Palace.
