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It is
located on the promontory of the historical peninsula in İstanbul
which overlooks both the Marmara Sea and the Bosphorus. The walls
enclosing the palace grounds, the main gate on the land side and
the first buildings were constructed during the time of Fatih
Sultan Mehmet (the Conqueror) (1451 - 81). The palace has taken
its present layout with the addition of new structures in the
later centuries. Topkapı Palace was the official residence of the
Ottoman Sultans, starting with Fatih Sultan Mehmet until 1856,
when Abdülmecid moved to the Dolmabahçe palace,
functioned as the administrative center of the state. The Enderun
section also gained importance as a school.
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The
main exterior gate of the Topkapı Palace is the Imperial Gate
(Bab-ı Hümayun) which opens up to the Ayasofya Square. This
gate leads to a garden known as the First Court. This court has
the Aya Irini Church which was once used as an ammunition depot
and behind the Church there is the mint. In the past various
pavillions allocated to different services of the palace were
located in the First Court. In later years these have ben
replaced with public buildings and schools. Some of these are
still existing. At the end of the 19th century Archeology Museum
and School of Fine Arts (now Oriental Works Museum) were built in
the large garden which is to the northwest of the First Court.
The oldest structure in this section is the Çinili Köşk
built by Fatih, which is now used as the Museum of Turkish Tiles
and Ceramics. On the walls of this outer garden facing Bab-ı ali
(the Imperial Gate), there is Alay Köşkü (procession
Pavillion) where the Sultans used to watch the marching
ceremonies. A section of the outer garden was planned by the
municipality at the beginning of the 20th century and opened to
the public. Known today as the Gülhane Park, the enterence
has one of the larger gates of the palace. After the First Court,
there is the Second Court which contains the palace buildings. It
is entered through a monumental gate called Bab'us-Selam or the
Middle Gate.
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The
buildings in this court form the outer section of the palace
which is called Birun. On the right there are the instantly
noticed palace kitchens with their domes and chimneys and the
dormitories of those who worked there. The most important of the
buildings on the left side of the court are the Kubbealtı and the
Inner Treasury. Behind Kubbealtı rises the Justice Tower, which
is one of the symbols of the Topkapı Palace. The Harem section,
which comes all the way to the back of these buildings is entered
from the Third Court. Third Court is
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entered
through the gate called Bab'üs Sa'ade (Gate of the White
Eunuiches). This section of the palace is called Enderun, and it
is the section where the sultans live with their extended
families. Hence it is specially protected. The barracks of the
Akağalar, which guard Bab'üs Sa'ade are on both sides of the
gate. Tere are two structures. The first which is immediately
opposite the gate is the Throne Room or the Audience Hall. Here
the sultans receive the ambassadors and high ranking state
officials such as Grand Visier or the Visiers. Right behind the
Throne Room there is the library built by Ahmet III (1703 - 30).
On the right side of the Third Court, there is the barracks of
the Enderun and the Privy Treasury which is also known as the
Mehmet the Conqueror Pavilion. On the side facing the Fourth
Court, there is the Larder Barracks of the Enderun, the Treasury
Chamber and the Chamber of the Sacred Relics. The left side
starts with the Harem. The harem which covers a large part of the
Palace consists of about 60 spaces of varying sizes. The main
structures which are located in front of the Harem, facing the
Third Court are Akağalar Mosque, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Barracks of
the Sacred Relics Guards and Chambers of the Sacred Relics. Here,
the sacred relics brought back by Sultan Yavuz Selim from Egypt
in 1517 are kept. The Fourth Court is entered from a covered path
going from both sides of the Treasury Room. Here the buildings
are located in the first part of the court, which has two
sections of different levels. On the left side of this section
called Lala Garden or Lale Garden there is Mabeyn which is the
beginning point of Harem's access to the garden, terrace for the
ladies with removable glass enclosure, Circumcission Room, Sultan
İbrahim Patio and another one of the symbols of Topkapı palace,
the İftariye (or Kameriye) and Baghdat Pavilion. This pavillion
was built by Murad IV in 1640 to commemorate the Baghdat
Campaign. At the center of the first section of the Fourth Court,
there is the Big Pool and Ravan Pavillion next to it. This
pavillion was also built by Murad IV in 1629, to commemorate the
Revan Campaign. The side facing the second section has Sofa
Pavilion (Koca Mustafa Pasha Pavilion), Başbala Tower and
Hekimbaşı (Chief Physician) Room. The Sofa Mosque and Esvap
Chamber and the latest built Mecidye Pavilion are on the right
hand side of the Fourth Court. Out of the pavillions built on the
shore of the Marmara Sea, only Sepetciler Mansion has survived
until the present.
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During
18th. Century when the Topkapı palace took its final shape, it
was sheltering a population of more than 10.000 in its outer
(Birun) and inner (Enderun) and Harem sections. It shows no
archirectural unity as new parts were added in every period
according to the needs. However, this enables us to follow the
stages Ottoman Architecture went through from the 15th to the
middle of the 19th century at the Topkapı Palace. The buildings
of the 15th - 17th centuries are simpler and those of the 18th -
19th centuries, particularly in terms of exterior and interior
ornamentation are more complex.
Topkapı
Palace was converted to a museum in 1924. Parts of the Palace
such as the Harem, Baghdat Pavilion, Revan Pavilion, Sofa
Pavilion, and the Audiance Chamber distinguish
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