After the construction of Topkapi Palace, the old palace became the abode of
the members of the Sultan’s harem who had lost favour of the wives of previous
sultans. At one point it is known to have have had a broad eaved Baroque
portal. Not long fater the conquest, Mehmet II began the construction of a new
palace at Seraglio Point, wich became known as Topkapi Sarayi after a shore
palace near the Cannon Gate (Topkapi.) of the sea walls. The walls surrounding
the point, which known as the first hill of the city , were 1400 ms in
lenght.The old Byzantine sea walls on the Sea Of Marmara and the Golden Horn
were linked up with land walls enclosing the palace, known as the Sur-i
Sultani, and supported by 28 towers. The main gate was the imperial gate
"Bab-i Hümayun" behind the Ayasofya. The gate was formerly surmounted by a
keep which was later removed.
The flanking bays in the gate were also revetted in marble. The new
palace was begun within these walls between 1472 - 1478, and construction
continued thougthout successive eras with additions being made right up to
the mid. 19 century. The palace complex inculudes lodges, pavilionsi state
offices, dormitories and barracks and private quarters, a mosque, library and
huge kitchen, The last pavilion to be built on the site was the Mecidiye Köskü
which is at present open to the public as a restaurant. Several pavilions and
villas in the palace grounds on the point were burnt down during a fire in
1863. All trace of them was lost on the construction of present railway at
Sirkeci.
In the first court, entered though the Bab-i. Hümayun, only two
imperial pavilions have survived in good repair. Topkapi Palace became a
museum in 1924. It has undergone a number of restorations since then. The
first courtyard, also known as Ceramonial Court - Alay Meydani., contains on
the right the offices of Ministry Of Finance - Defterdar Dairesi and on the
left. Hagia Eirene the Ottoman armoury. The road leading to the second gate
passes between these two buildings. The second portal, which is flanked by
towers, is the Bab-üs Selam -The Gate Of Respects- which dated originally from
the period of Conqueror. but which underwent some alterations to the towers
during the reign of Süleyman I. During the reign of Mustafa II. a broad aeved
bay was added to the inner facade of the portal. Entering through this gate,
one passes into the second court which marks in the true enterance into the
grounds of the so called Saray-i. Cedid (New Palace). On the right of this
court are the pantry guards’ barracks, the kitchens built by the architect
Sinan, the cook’s domitories, a bath, the chief stewards’s office and the
larder. On the left a road slopes down to the barracks of the Crestes
Halberdiers adn the imperial stables, the livery treasury and the Mosque of
Besir Aga. Further along the court on the left are the double domed chambers
which housed the Imperial Council Of Viziers .This was built by Süleyman I,
and it was from here that the state was ruled for a long time. A rectangular
tower abutts onto the domed chambers. This was the palace watch tower It was
built in the time of Mehmet I but later altered. The upper storey was
timber-built until 1860. The tower was given its present apperance during the
reign of Abdülmecid.
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The Harem is entered via a door beside the domed chamber, and to the right
is the entrance to the imperial records office.
The gate at the other end of the second court, the Gate of the White
Eunichs, gives access to the third court, the privy court or Enderun. This
gate dates from the reign of Selim III, and has a broad eaves. It was under
the eaves of this portal that the imperial throne was set during court
ceremonies such as those of alliegance, religious celebrations and public
audiences. The imperial pennant was erected here too at certain times. The
gate was flanked by the chamber and barracks of the White Eunichs.
The third court contained the Throne Room. The building dates from the
reign of Mehmet II, altough the door and decorations date to the 19 century.
The overhanging eaves of the building are eleganted to cover a columned
arcade, and the walls are recetted with faience.
The building was used mainly for imperial audiences to viziers and
foreing envoys. Behind the throne room is the library of Ahmet III - Enderun
Kütüphanesi. It is the largest and finest library in the palace. On the right
of the court was the Enderun school, artists’ and musicians atelier, the
barracks of the Campaign Pages, the Treasury, formerly a pavilion in the time
of Mehmet II and the remains of a bathhouse dating from the reign of Selim II.
On the left of the court is the Treasury of the Sword-bearer. (Silahtaragasi.)
and the apartments of the sacred relics. Further to the left is the vaulted
mosque of the white eunichs. The Aka..alar mosque has been restored and now
houese books and manuscripts collected from all parts of the palace, as the
Topkapi. Museums Library.
The sultan’s private kitchen is a small building behind the mosque
adjacent to the second entrance of the Harem.
Two slightly ramped alleys lead from the third to the fourth courtyard.
Flanking the alley to the right barracks of the cellar slaves( Now the
administrative offices of the palace.) and the barracks of the treasury
guards. To the left of the alley on the left are the chambers of the scared
relics.
The fourth court is a spacious garden, sometimes called the tulip
garden - a misnomer based on the word "lale". The actual title is the "Lala’s
garden". The chief court physician, or Lala’s tower is set on the edge of the
terrace overlooking a lower terrace garden. This was the palace pharmacy. On a
terrace wall a litte further on from the tower is the pavilion of Mustafa
Pacha, also known as the Sofa, which dates to the beginning of the 18 century.
It is a fine example of Turkish tradition, decorated with occidental-inspired
motifs.
To the left of the court is a stone paved terrace adjoining the
chambers of the sacred relics. The terrace extends from the arcade fronting
the chambers, and contains an attractive pool. It is reached from the gardens
via short flight of steps abutting onto Revan Pavilion, also called Sevk
Odas1., which was built by Murat IV in 163. This is an extremely finely
decorated pavilion. Manuscripts originally kept in bookcases in the pavilion
were later transferred to the museum library. At the end of the terrace on the
right, dominating the wiev of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus is the Baghdad
Pavilion, built after Murat IV’s second conquest and interior, decorative dome
and vaults and mother of pearl inlayed doors are among the most striking of
its elegant attributes.
At the edge of the terrace overlooking the city and Golden Horn is
gilded bronze baldachin, which has four fine columns supporting an eaved
cupola. Along the eaves runs an inscription frieze containing a long poem
which informs us that the baldachin was built by Sultan Ibrahim as a place of
vigil. Below it is the figgrove, or lower garden.
To the left of the terrace, just opposite the chambers of the relics is
a small chamber known as the Cicumcision room. This was built by Sultan
Ibrahim in 1641, and is decorated with fine tile panels dating to the 16
century but which are reused on this building. The window panles contain small
fountains and a long poemis inscribed on the facade.
Two pavilios of note are also to be found on the Marmara side of the
fourth court, the Çadir Pavilion and the Mecidiye Pavilion built by Abdülmecit
I. The letter is European in style and is the final building to be built in
the palace complex. It is flanked by a small wardrobe room (Esvap Odasi) and a
small chapel mosque with minaret (The Sofa Mosque). A path leads down the
terrace from the Mecidiye Pavilion to a gate which gives access to the outer
gardens of palace also known as Gülhane Park. A large number of pavilions and
royal summer villas were once to be found in the seraglio gardens, but were
brunt down during a fire in 1863, and all trace of them disappeared during the
building of the Sirkeci railway which passed through the promontory at this
point. Some drawings and plans of these pavilions do, however exist.