Topkapi Palace - Harem
Harem inside the Topkapi Palace was a private space for Sultan and his families. Access to this part of the palace was tightly controlled and this is where lots of stories in Europe about the harem of sultans did rounds. Whether they were true or not, we can leave this topic for another day.
The Gate of Carts is an entrance to the Harem Apartments from the Second Courtyard in the Topkapi Palace. The Hall of the Fountain is an entrance hall under the control of the Harem eunuchs. To the opposite side of the gate a door leads to a courtyard, the walls of the Hall are covered with 17th century Kutahya tiles.
The Court of Eunuchs
The main functions of this section of the harem was to guard the gates and control access to the Harem, accompany the carriages and let no one from the outside enter the Harem. By the end of the 16th century, the duty of guarding the concubines had fallen exclusively to the Black Eunuchs. Courtyard of the Black Eunuchs and the buildings around it were probably erected during the institutionalization phase of the Harem in the mid-16th century.
The main entrance (Cumle Kapısı) separates the harem in which the family and the concubines of the Sultan resided from the Courtyard of the Eunuchs. In order words it was a line between Sultan’s private harem and the Courtyard of the Eunuchs.
The Courtyard and Quarters of Concubines were erected at the end of the 16th century. The three independent tiled apartments with fireplaces overlooking the Golden Horn were the quarters where the consorts of the Sultan lived..
Vailde Sultan’s Apartment
Women whose sons ascended the throne as a monarch acquired the title of “Queen Mother or Sultana” (Valide Sultan) and moved from the Old Palace in Bayezit to the Topkapı Palace. The Queen Mother’s Apartments initially commissioned by Sultan Murat III for his mother Sultana Nurbanu. This part of the Harem was built by Court Architects Mimar Sinan.
Imperial Reception Hall or Throne Room
Motifs and Iznik porcelain are used on the walls of the Throne Room (Imperial Sofa), in this room ceremonies and receptions were held. The Imperial Hall has the largest dome in the palace. After the Great Harem Fire of 1666, the hall was renovated in the rococo style during the reign of Sultan Osman III.
Privy Chamber of Murad III
This room dates back to the 16th century, it is the oldest and finest surviving room in the harem. It was designed and built by the chief architect Sinan in 1579 on the order of the sultan and used as the sultans’ official and private apartment. The interior of the main room is decorated with blue-and-white and coral-red 16th century Iznik tiles.
Privy Chamber of Ahmed I
This room was built in 1608 in front of the Privy Chamber of Murat III. ts walls are covered with predominantly green tiles.
Twin Pavilions
It is also known as the Chamber of Crown Princes. The Apartments of the Crown Prince consist of two privy chambers both with classical fireplaces, built in the 17th century. The Twin Kiosk has been used as the privy chamber of the Crown Princes from the 18th century onwards.
Courtyard of the Apartments of the Sultan’s Favorites and the Mabeyn
The Apartment of The Favorites and The Chamberlain’s Courtyard Unlike the other courtyards, the Chamberlain’s Courtyard is not entirely enclosed but rather remains open on one side. With the open side looking onto the Harem’s pool, the side of the courtyard that looks onto the Paved Courtyard of the Queen Mother contains the portico known as the Council Place of the Djinn.
Golden Road
Before it became known as the Golden Road in the 19th century, this passageway was variously known as the Long Road (Uzun Yol), the Sultan’s Path (Rah-ı Padishahi)), and the Avenue of His Excellency the Sultan (Sokak-ı Hazret-i Padishahi), and was generally used by the sultan as a shortcut to the Harem apartments.
It is believed that the attribute “golden” is due to the sultan’s throwing of golden coins to be picked up by the concubines at festive days.
