THE SEFERLI WARD

This is the Seferli Ward.

The word Seferli means “people of the campaign.” This ward was the fourth room in the Enderun. The Enderun was the inner palace school and service area.

Sultan Murad IV created the Seferli Ward around 1632. He placed his men here. They were known as the Seferli. They served in the big and small rooms of the palace.

Later, the building changed. In the time of Sultan Ahmed III, this area was small. The warm and hot parts of the Sultan’s Bath, called the Hünkâr Hammam, were pulled down. In 1719, a larger building with a portico was built here.

The ward has survived until today. Under its floor, there are old remains and tiles from earlier baths. Some are from the time of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. Some are from the time of Sultan Selim II.

Today, the Seferli Ward shows clothes from the sultan and his family.

Ottoman sultans cared very much about clothing. Clothes showed power. They also showed beauty and wealth. For ceremonies, sultans liked fine silk fabrics. These fabrics were high quality. Their patterns were made by palace miniaturists. These were artists who painted small, careful pictures and designs.

In the Ottoman Empire, weaving reached a very high level in the 16th and 17th centuries. This happened at the same time as the empire’s strong political and economic rise. The fabrics became rich in both technique and pattern.

The display includes the sultan’s furs, caftans, and ceremonial robes. A caftan is a long, loose robe. There are also shoes, caps, turbans, and jeweled crests. Other fine accessories are shown as well.

One very special group is the talismanic shirts. These shirts belonged to sultans and princes. They were covered with prayers, verses, signs, and ornaments. People believed these shirts could protect the wearer. They were made to guard against enemies in war. They were also meant to protect from accidents, troubles, and sorrow. Some were made with the hope of healing illness. Others were made with the hope that a wish would come true.

The ward also displays clothes worn by the sultan’s sons and by lady sultans. These garments help us imagine palace life through cloth, color, and careful handwork.