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The Topkapi Palace
"Sultan Selim III Accepting Felicitations on the Occasion of a Religious Holiday". In this oil painting, the Sultan's throne is seen in front of the Babu's-sa'ade (Gate of Felicity). Members of the Sultan's court and the prominent personalities of the Empire in typical attire of the period stand before the monarch in total reverence and in strict adherence to palace protocol. Throughout the history of the palace, the Sultans were always seated a the same spot during official ceremonies held in the palace, including the presentation of the standard to armies.
The Harem
The Harem section of The Topkapi Palace is made up of about 400 rooms scattered around small inner courts. Throughout the history of the palace, the Harem quarters underwent alterations continuously. It was the private part of the Sultan's residence where his mother, brothers an sisters, wives, children and other members of the family, as well as the servants and eunuchs lived. Throughout the centuries, many stories have been told about these private quarters of the palace, entrance to which was strictly prohibited for outsiders. However, some of these must be regarded as myth, and the information backed by evidence points to a way of life in the Harem not as eccentric as people have been led to believe, but nevertheless interesting.
Exterior view of the Harem |
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The Harem; the Hall with a Hearth
The concubines (cariye) to serve the Sultan and his family were hand-picked from the most beautiful and healthy young maidens of various races or were given to the Sultan as gifts. These girls, who were admitted to the Harem at an age barely out of childhood, were trained for years under the strictest discipline. After becoming perfectly familiar with the rules and customs of the palace, they were graded into certain classes on the basis of their abilities, and only the best were allowed to serve the Sultan. Some of these girls were able to atract the attention of the Sultan and hence his favours, and occasionally even to become wives. In the Ottoman Empire there was no status as an Empress.
The power to run the Harem was vested in the Sultan's mother. In this setting of wealth and splendor, gossip, rivalry and struggle to get closer to the Sultan were parts of daily life. When a Sultan died or was made to abdicate and a new one assumed the throne, the harem of the former would be moved to some other palace. During the reign of a Sultan with a weak personality and little authority, the Harem would often emerge as, a political power and indulge in power-play and intrigue.
Today, only a part of the Harem section is open as a museum. While touring these empty rooms and the gloomy corridors, the visitor needs to work his imagination exhaustively to visualize the Harem as it was in its heyday.
Interior of the Imperial Hall.(Hunkar Sofasi)
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