The Sofa with a Fountain

This part belongs to the Chamber of the Holy Mantle, called Hırka-i Saadet. It is one of the most special places in Topkapı Palace.

One room here is the Sofa with Fountain, called Şadırvanlı Sofa. A “sofa” means a hall or sitting room. In this room, sacred relics linked to the Kaaba are kept.

The Kaaba is the holy building in Mecca. It is the most sacred place in Islam. Muslims all over the world turn toward the Kaaba when they pray.

Here, there are Kaaba keys. There are also Kaaba gutters, parts of its pillars, and pieces of plaster. A model of the Kaaba is shown here too.

There is also a case linked to the Black Stone, called Hacer-i Esved. The Black Stone is part of the Kaaba, and it has a very special place in Muslim tradition.

The room also holds old notebooks from the Ottoman period. These notebooks list the sacred relics kept in the palace. They show how carefully the Ottomans recorded and protected these holy objects.