The Throne Room

The Throne Room is one of the oldest buildings in Topkapı Palace.

It was built during the rule of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. He was the sultan who took Istanbul in 1453.

This room was a very important place. Great state meetings were held here. The sultan, the grand vizier, the viziers, commanders, and ambassadors from foreign countries were connected with these meetings.

The grand vizier was the sultan’s chief minister. The viziers were other high ministers. Foreign ambassadors came from other states with messages and gifts.

The sultan did not speak to foreign ambassadors in person. The grand vizier spoke to them for him. In this way, the sultan stayed distant and powerful.

One of the sultan’s thrones was kept in this room. The room was restored many times over the years. The throne dates back to the 16th century.

A fountain was built here during the rule of Sultan Süleyman. He is known as the Lawgiver, because his time was remembered for strong laws and order.

The beautiful carved designs on one gate date from the early 18th century. This was the time of Sultan Ahmed the Third.

Another gate has writing by Sultan Mahmud the Second. He was one of the best calligraphers of the 19th century. Calligraphy means beautiful writing, made with great care.

The signature on the gate belongs to Sultan Abdülmecid. He ordered the gate to be renewed after a major fire in the 19th century.

A large window near the gate had a special use. It was used to show the sultan the presents brought by ambassadors.

The room changed for each ambassador. The decoration depended on the ambassador’s rank and importance. The throne covers, carpets, and curtains could all be changed.

For very important visits, the room became very rich and bright. It was decorated with jewels, fine cloth, and handmade works.

Later, Sultan Abdülmecid sent old handmade works, wall curtains, door curtains, and carpets to the treasury. From these worn pieces, workers took out 88 kilograms and 325 grams of silver. They also took out 912 kilograms and 64 grams of gold.

This shows how rich and costly the decoration once was.

The palace also had a school for boys taken into the service of the sultan. These boys were called devşirme. They were also known as iç oğlan, which means inner boys.

In the Ottoman Empire, a person did not need to be born royal to reach a high state job. He needed to receive an Enderun education. Enderun was the palace school.

There were six classrooms in the courtyard. The boys studied education, law, history, state work, sports, and arts.

After their training, they could be appointed as kapıkulu soldiers. Kapıkulu means servants of the palace gate. These soldiers served the sultan directly.

This system had a clear aim. It helped create a powerful group loyal to the palace. These men could also marry concubines who were trained in the palace.