Imperial Wardrobe

Here is a room full of royal clothes, and each piece tells a quiet story.

The Imperial Wardrobe was built by Sultan Murad the Fourth in the 17th century. This place was used by young palace boys called seferis. A seferi was a pageboy who served close to the sultan. These boys also went to war with the sultan. From the time of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, they were trained here and lived here.

The clothes of the sultans were kept with great care. The clothes of their daughters and sons were kept too. They were saved in the palace treasury as memories of the royal family. Because of this, Topkapı Palace has a rich collection of imperial clothes.

For many years, Ottoman cloth was famous. Until the 18th century, Ottoman weaving workshops were among the best in the world. One special silk cloth was called kemha. It was woven with silver and gold threads. This rich cloth was sent to many parts of the world.

The sultans and their children wore long robes called caftans. These caftans were not always made from Ottoman cloth. Some were made from Iranian fabric. Some were made from Venetian fabric. Some were made from Spanish fabric.

Later, in the time of Sultan Mahmud the Second, clothing began to change. Western-style dress became more common. The bright and rich caftans of the old palace world slowly gave way to a new look.