GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY

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2 TOPHAPI GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY The Topkapi Palace is situated on the most beautiful site in stanbul, on the historic peninsula where the sea of Marmara, Bosphorus and the Golden Horn meet. It is a complex of buildings built in the Turkish architectural style the most magnificent treasures of the Ottoman Empire are displayed. The Palace rests on a gently sloping hill and is surrounded by Byzantine sea walls and Ottoman land walls. The area covered is 700,00 square metres. Apart from its natural and geographic beauties, this area represents also the architectural and artistic center of settlements since the prehistoric period. After the capture of Istanbul, Fatih Sultan Mehmet built a palace in the grounds of the present Istanbul University in order to move his Edirne Palace to Istanbul. However this setting was not very practical since it lay in the centre of the city and, in addition, the natural beauties of the Saraypoint attracted the Sultan; consequently, in 1472, the construction of a new palace was begun there and this was later called the Topkapi Palace. This area which was an olive grove in Byzantine times was surrounded by land walls which were the continuation of the Byzantine sea walls. With the construction of these new walls, this 700,000 square metre area was separated off from the city. The Palace then became the centre of government of the Ottoman Empire and continued to be so for 400 years, developing rapidly during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. However, in the 18th century when the state office was moved to Bab-i ali and when in 1853 the Sultan's private residence was moved to Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus, the magnificent and powerful times of the Palace came to an end. The Palace was the center of government of the Empire for 400 years and also the residence of the Sultans. It lies in a very large garden of flowers, fruits and vegetables, all of which are surrounded by walls. In the outer gardens, on the seaside, there were many pavilions some of which still exist; various ceremonies, entertainments, sports and races were viewed from these pavilions. The garden surrounding the Palace abounded in brightly coloured and fragrant flowers from every part of the country. The Palace consisted of four courtyards. General view of the Topkapi Palace.

3 PALACE The government agencies were housed in the first courtyard. The common man could enter this courtyard in order to conduct his legal affairs. The service buildingsce.g. kitchens, pantries, hospitals) of the Palace w e re also found in this courtyard. "Kubbealti" was the building from which the Ottoman Empire was governed and thus resembles today's parliament; this building is situated in the second courtyard. The traditional ceremonies of accession to the throne and festivals took place in this courtyard. The three other structures in this courtyard were the kitchens for providing food for the Palace people and visitors to the ceremonies, the private stables of the Sultan and the Zülüflü Baltacilar corps. The third courtyard was bounded by the "Arzodasi", the room where state affairs were discussed with the Sultan, a large mosque, pavilions for the Sultan and by dormitories for the artists and servants. The Harem complex is separated from the second and third courtyards and from the outer gardens by high walls. It was initially planned as a complex of four buildings, one opening into the other. However, over a period of four centuries it has been built with the structures side by side, one within the other and one immediately following the other. All of these buildings, famous for their internal decorations, are the most characteristic architectural monuments of their period; the internal decorations consist of tiles, engravings, wooden panels decorated with gilt, ovens, niches, carved marble and ornamental fountains. COURTYARD 1 '"IT -#«- Site Plan of the Topkapi Palace. After : ELDEM, S. Hakki, AKOZAN, F. Topkapi Sarayi, Kultur ve Turizm Bakanhgi, Eski Eserler ve Mùzeler Genel Müdúríüou publications, istanbul, 1982.

4 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Courtyard 1 The entrance to the first courtyard was through a gateway called Bab-i Humayun. It was built in the style of a victory arch in The upper pavilion storey 6f the gateway which was used as a treasury was burned down in The Darphane (mint), is next to the Hagia Eirene at the end of a 300 metre road connecting the first courtyard to the second. After its restoration it will become the Centre of Restoration and Conservation of the General Directorate of Antiquities and Mu seums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, There existed many other structures but these cannot be restored since they are very eroded and some have left no trace at all. These are: the Enderun hospital, the Maliye Nezareti, the Masraf Nezareti, the bakery, wood storehouse, the corps of mat makers, the department of Sehremini, the summer house of the head of the paper department. Courtyard 2 The gate of the second courtyard is called Bab-i Selam and today it is the entrance to the museum. It was built in the time of Fatih and was later repaired in the 16th century by Kanuni Sultan Süleyman. The second courtyard was called "Divan Square" or "Justice Square'. The most important building of this courtyard was the "Kubbealti" which was constructed during the time of Grand Vizier Damat Ibrahim Pasa. The political, administrative, financial, military and religious law councils of the state were held in this building, as were public receptions. The building was restored during the 1940's and the original decorations were redone as part of this restoration. The Hazine Building which was built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet stands next to the Kubbealti. It is now used as an exhibition hall displaying the armoury collection. General view.

5 PALACE The long and narrow courtyard connected to the second court by three doors is the courtyard of the kitchens. These buildings were begun by Fatih Sultan Mehmet and acquired their present plan in the time of Mimar Sinan. Oriental china collections, kitchen utensils, Istanbul-made porcelain and glass objects, a collection of late European furniture, European crystal and porcelain wares and Turkish and European silver wares are displayed in this section. The private stables of the Sultan, built by Mahmut I (1733), run along a large courtyard sloping downwards from the second courtyard. The Zülüflü Baltacilar corps which is entered by a small door stands on the left of the Kubbealti. It was built in the time of Fatih and then rebuilt by Murad III (1516). This complex consists of a small mosque, a fountain, a bath, rooms for the Agha and dormitories surrounding a small courtyard. Courtyard 3 The third courtyard which is known as the "Enderun Square" is entered through the door called "Babü-Sa'ade". This door was given its persent day shape in the 18th century. Many ceremonies took place at this gate; these included the accession to the throne of a new Sultan, Bayram ceremonies and the ceremony of the handing over the flag of the Prophet to the Grand Vizier before a war. The Enderun school which was built during the time of Abdülmecid and the apartment of Babü's- Sa-ade Agha lie on the left side of this door. The Akagalar dormitory is now used as the section for Turkish embroidery. The Arz room lies opposite the entrance to the third courtyard. This room was built during the time of Fatih and then rebuilt in 1856 after a fire. The Sultan received in this room visits of high state officials and foreign Courtyard 3.

6 envoys. The 15th century Fatih pavilion was later used as the treasury of the Enderun. This building, which has four large halls, a balcony, a very large porch and a basement, is now the treasury section of the museum. Relics are kept and displayed in the 15th century "Hirka-i Saadet" department. The 15th century Agalar mosque is the library of the Palace. There are 13,538 miniatures and 18,000 volumes of handwritten books in this library. The 18th century Ahmet III library stands in the middle of the courtyard. It is famous for its well preserved iznik tiles and gilded dome decorations. The third courtyard holds four dormitories for recruits to the Janissary corps. Some of these youths later became Grand Vizier or took up important positions in the state after the completion of their education. Apart from these, this courtyard also contains the Has Oda, Treasury, Pantry and Seferli dormitories. Courtyard 4 This was the private garden of the Sultan in which there are many pavilions. All of these pavilions, which are famous for their internal decoration, are open for visiting as Palace buil- dings. These pavilions are: Revan pavilion built by Murat IV in Bafjdat pavilion built by Murat IV in Sünnet room built by Sultan brahim in Sofa pavilion built by Mehmet IV. Mecidiye pavilion built by Sultan Abdülmecid. Sofa mosque built by Mahmud II. Harem The construction of the harem complex was begun in the 16th century and by the 17th century it occupied a very large area. The harem buildings lie on the slope between the Gülhane Park and the second courtyard. The buildings have three, four, Harem, Grand Festival Hall.

7 PALACE or five storeys. The harem complex has 400 rooms in total. The Outer Gardens Out of the many pavilions situated in the outer gardens, only four survive. The Cinili pavilion-this pavilion was built in 1472 by Fatih Sultan Mehmet. Both the inside and the outside of the building are decorated with tiles. In earlier days on the side of the pavilion facing the first courtyard, there was the garden of the Agha and tha pavilion of Mehmed III. Entertainments and sporting events were viewed from this pavilion. The ncili pavilion - the first floor of the Incili pavilion is in very good condition but the upper floor has collapsed. The Sepetçiler pavilion - the restoration of this pavilion which was built in 1643 is almost complete. The May pavilion - a private collection is being displayed in this pavilion which was built in The four very large storehouses facing the Sea of Marmara and built by Sultan Aziz are now used as a provisions depot by the Ministry of Defence. The medical school which lies between the Gülhane Park and the Sepetçiler pavilion is also used by the Ministry of Defence. The Gülhane hospital is still used as a hospital. The Matba-i amire which was built in 1826 was the state press and is now used as a press by the Ministry of Education. The Yah pavilion built in The 16th century shakiye pavilion. The Topkapi Sahil Sarayi built in 1709 and burned in The 18th century Sevkiye pavilion. The Gülhane pavilion built in It is impossible to rebuild these buildings but it would be worthwhile to find their exact locations and give some indication showing the functions of the pavilions and the historical events which took place inside them. Dome.

8 CONDITION OF THE PALACE For many reasons, the Topkapi Palace desolate during the 19th century; when the Sultan moved to Dolmabahçe in 1853, only a very few guards were left behind to care for Topkapi; then in 1863 there was a very destructive fire which swept the coast at Topkapi; in 1871, many pavilions were demolished for the construction of the new railway, and finally in 1894 there was an earthquake. After the declaration of the new Turkish Republic, it was decided to re-open the Palace as a museum but only the second, third and fourth courtyards (70,000 square metres in total) were placed under the control of the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums. The remaining 630,000 square metres were left in charge of other foundations. The forces of destruction continued during the 1950's; in 1955, most of the walls and pavilions were demolished during the course of the construction of the coast road; then in 1980, many historical monuments were destroyed by the construction of the new Asia-Europe water pipe line. Even at the present time, many buildings which have no relation to the aims of this projet are still being built in this area. The problems outlined above are the general ones affecting the completeness of the Topkapi Palace complex; in addition, the Palace and museum which are crowded together in three courtyards have space problems which cannot be resolved in this restricted area. Some of the buildings which are of great historical importance are being used as offices; attempts are made to keep the many precious objects of measures are not sufficient. The Museum occupies a very small area (70,000 m 2 ), as a result of which 100,000 objects and 150,000 archival documents are kept in depots. Because of conservation problems, it is not possible to display all of them but a minimum of 30,000 should be exhibited to demonstrate to the scientific and artistic world the richness and completeness of the collectipn. The only solution to this problem is to transfer control of the structures of the first courtyard and the outer gardens to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism thus to Topkapi Palace. These buildings would serve as new exhibition halls, free from moisture, dust and excessive light. It would be possible to construct on the large area of the outer gardens a modern and new depot for the works of art of Topkapi Palace, a depot which would be secure even in the event of nuclear war. It is essential to transfer the library to a building which has a depot, a conservation laboratory, a microfilm centre and reading rooms and which is free from moisture, dust, heat and excess light. Conservation workshops should be set in the outer gardens of the Palace for treatment of the following: a. hand-painted manuscripts, books, archives and miniatures, b. metalwork, c. material and embroideries, d. porcelain and glass, e. jewellery. Since, however, the realisation of this project will take some time, the first urgent measure should be to solve the dust, light and moisture problems of existing depots. The M u s e u m is currently being visited by 15,000 people a day and in the near future this is likely to increase to 20,000-25,000. It is therefore necessary to establish proper facilities for tourists.

9 RESTORATION OF THE PALACE Previous to 1980, the financing earmarked for Topkapi Palace was only sufficient for urgent repairs but because of the universal importance of this site further allowances (a very large sum whpn compared with allowances given to other projects) have been assigned by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism since 1980 for restorat^n ourposes. Urgent repairs and restoration were realized as a result of this additional money and greater safety precautions were introduced; these measures represented the best that could be done. A total of 1 million US Dollars is spent for restoration work upto now. In order to set out re-organization plan for Topkapi Palace, the problems of the various Palace structures, moveable and immoveable, should be examined separately. Surroundings The historic peninsula of Istanbul; the monumental structures, buildings which represent civil architecture of the past, new buildings, roads, squares and gardens of the Saraypoint - Topkapi Palace, St. Sophia, Sultan Ahmet Square - should be considered as city planning problems and dealt with by means of a new discipline. The traffic and parking problems of the large area should be solved and car park in the gardens of the buildings and in the first courtyard of Topkapi Palace should be moved elsewhere. The area of the Palace facing the Golden Horn and Gülhane Park is now under the control of Istanbul Municipality. This garden should form part of the project. However, the zoos, flower beds and garden borders which are in European style should be replaced by a garden designed in the Ottoman style and this should be opened to the public. The Byzantine sea walls and buildings should be excavated and restored. Restoration of the Ottoman land walls, pavilions and summer houses should be undertaken. The outer gardens, the private garden recreation area of the Palace should be reorganised by the construction of tourist buildings such as hotels and restaurants. Topkapi Palace Structures The buildlings of the Palace, and especially the Harem, are decorated with the most beautiful materials from different centuries and different countries of the Ottoman Empire. The furnishings cannot be separated from their architectural context. Thus, the restoration should be put out to tender in an attempt to find sources of those materials which are no longer found or produced in Turkey, for example, ivory, ebony, teak wood, gold, silver, goid and siiver leaf, Egyptian mats and Bursa silks for cushions. After the furnishing and restoration of the buildings, workshops for immediate repairs and other requirements should be established and training facilities provided for young craftsmen learning their trade from master craftsmen; these latter are very few in number. These workshops should be: wood-work shops furniture, mother-of-pearl workshops metalwork shops electrical workshops plumbing workshops lead workshops engraving, paint workshops upholstery workshops tile workshops The foregoing is a brief summary of the present situation with regard to Topkapi Palace and the Museum. In addition to financial assistance, this project also requires international technology, expertise, trained staff and equipment. We believe that through cooperation between the Turkish Government and UNESCO, this project could be realised.

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11 PALACE GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY Site Plan of Yildiz Palace After: Ülker Cebekan. 1. Great Mabeyn Pavilion 5. Çit Pavilion 7. Hünkar Pavilion 8. Palace Theater 11. The Building of Musahip Efendiler 13. The Building of Kizlar Agasi 21. Small Mabeyn Pavilion 22. Harem Entrance 33. Coach House 36. Armoury The Yildiz Palace is the example of traditional Islamic palace architecture after Edirne and Topkapi Palaces. It was constructed in the centre of a very large garden (500,000 square metres) of flowers, plants and trees brought from every part of the world. The Palace consists of separate buidings surrounding courtyards and is situated on the top of a very steep hill overlooking the Bosphorus. The land of the Yildiz Palace was used as a hunting ground in the time of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman in the 16th century. Then, on the same land, a kasr (summer palace) and a fountain were built for the mother of Selim III ( ). In , a pavilion for Mahmud II was built. All these buildings were demolished during the time of Sultan Abdülmecit ( ) and a new pavilion called "Kasr-i Dilküsa" was built for his mother Bezmialem Valide Sultan. The lands around the pavilion were purchased and the garden was enlarged; and it was thus that the place called the "Yildiz Palace" was begun. In the days af Abdulhamid II ( ), the Dolmabahçe Palace was abandoned and for a period of 33 years the Ottoman Empire was governed from the Yildiz Palace. In this period a high wall was built to sorround the palace. New buildings were constructed in the inner and outer gardens. In 1922, Vahdettin abandoned the country and thereafter Yildiz Palace lay empty for a period. During the Republic it was used as a War Academy and then in 1977 it was given into the charge of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Hasbahçe.

12 YILDIZ ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION AND PRESENT CONDITION The buildings lie at the centre of a large outer garden and they surround three inner gardens. Courtyard 1 All the state offices had been situated in the Sur-u Sultani of the Topkapi Palace, but in the 18th century most of the state offices were moved to Bab-i Ali. Because of this change in the location of the administration centre, the first courtyard of Yildiz Palace is different to the first courtyard of Topkapi Palace and resembles more the second courtyard of Topkapi. That is to say there was a space for the carrying out of functions as directed by the Sultan. * The Great Mabeyn Pavilion : This is the largest pavilion of the Palace and is built in the ecclectic style. It has two storeys and was used as an office by the marshalls of the Sultan's household. It was also in this pavilion that the Sultan received visitors on official occasions and entertained foreign statesmen. Turkish decorative styles and north African Islamic traditions were both used in the adornment of the inner part of the pavilion. Çit Kasri : This is a single storey building consisting of different rooms on a certain axis. The Sultan used to receive the visits of foreign statesman in the Hünkar room which is to the right of the entrance. Offices of the Aide-de-Camp of the Sultan : This is a long single storey building where palace officials worked. The Armoury : In this building there is displayed the weapons collections of the Empire. Coach-House : These are the service buildings of the palace. Courtyard 2 This courtyard consists of a number of buildings built around a long narrow courtyard. In these buildings the Sultan lived and received visitors. Small Mabeyn Pavilion : This is the most important building of the Palace. The Sultan worked here and also received visits from the Palace staff such as the Grand Vizier. It s a two storey, elaborately decorated building and requires good restoration in addition to the recovering from other palaces of the original furniture. The Hünkar Pavilion : This is the first summer pavilion of the Yildiz Palace. It has been restored many times since its construction. Abdülhamid used the building as a residence until new apartments were built for him. It has been built in the Baghdad style and displays 19th century characteristics. The ceiling ornaments and wood deco rations are of the highest interest. Theatre : The theatre which was destined Great Mabeyn Pavilion.

13 PALACE to hold 200 people was built on the classical theatre plan. There is a dome at the centre of the ceilling and the inside of this dome is decorated with golden stars against a blue background, representing the sky. The walls are inscribed. Foreign guests of the Sultan were entertained in this theatre by the actors of the Palace and the French and Italian operettas which were invited to Istanbul by the Sultan. The Building of Musahip Efendiler : This building was assigned to the trusted advisors of the Sultan. The Building of Kizlaragasi (Chief black eunuch of the Imperial harem) : This important 19th century building noteworthy with its wall coverings and paintings from nature on the walls and ceilings. Harem The harem buildings which are clustered in groups are all situated in the garden and provide the best examples of 19th century civil architecture. The ceilings of all the rooms are decorated with paintings by famous artists and all have been inspired by nature. Hasbahce (private garden of the Sultan) The 30 dönüms (about 1/4 acre) of the outer garden of the Palace were enclosed with high walls and were separated from a small wood in the time of Abdülhamid II. A 350 metre long pool, summer houses, pavilions and an arts building with a 60 metre long façade were situated in this inner garden. Outer Gardens This is a large area of the Palace with pools, greenhouses and pavilions. The Sale Pavilion : This was built as a residence for foreign statesmen during the 19th century. It is the best preserved building of the Palace and has its original furniture and its internal decoration. The Malta Pavilion : This is a two storey building buii in the time of Abdülaziz. There is a marble fountain in the hall of ':> ; building with rest rooms on both sides. There is a large hall, a library and bedrooms on the second Hoor. The Çadir Pavilion : This pavilion was also built sn >:& time of Abdülaziz. The Hamidiye Mosque : This was built in the neogothic c V? in The Sultan's private oev is on the left hand side of the one minaret mosque. There is a doc 1 - tower on the right side of rp33ci>e's courtyard dating to The other buildings of this ooun consist of the summer house, patries and the office of the Agha together with the most beau tifo example of military architecture, the Orhaniye, Ertugrul and Balmurncu barracks. Ada Pavilion.

14 YILDIZ PALACE EXISTING PROBLEMS AND RESTORATION OF THE PALACE * The lack of craftsman specialized in the restoration of structures built in a traditional style and the lack of original equipment. As there is a limited budget for the repair of many and different buildings and as there are no special restoration teams for the continuing repair and care of the Palaces, the restoration work takes a long time and during this time weather conditions have harmful effects on the buildings. Although the Palace is considered to be a Cultural, Art and Tourism Centre for the future, the whole Palace complex is not yet owned by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The buildings of the Yildiz Palace complex, which for 33 years was the centre of government of the Ottoman Empire, are very special examples of the decorative arts and architecture of the last century. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is attempting under its preservation programme to maintain the cultural and architectural heritage of a number of civilizations. The Yildiz Palace was incorporated into this programme and a total of 2 million US Dollars is spent for the restoration of the Palace since However, the restoration of all the buildings and gardens can only be realized with financial and technical help of the Turkish Government and Unesco. Entrance to the Yildiz Palace.

15 UNESCO/INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE SAFEGUARD OF THE HISTORICAL MONUMENTS and SITES of ISTANBUL and GÖREME There are few cities in the world Süleymdniye Complex and Zeyrek construction of buildings for to which have such numbers of monuments Mosque (Pantocrator uristic amenities in an area below which reflect the heritage and Church) the palace buildings; culture of so many different civilizations. 3. Municipality of Istanbul : installation of central heating, air It is, therefore, a highly respon Historic quarters of Süleymaniye conditioning; and security sible and visible task which confronts the authorities concerned, in carrying out a program dedicated to preserve so many monuments of outstanding and Zeyrek, Land Walls and Golden Horn. A means of ensuring cooperation and systems against fire or theft within the 70,000 m 2 area of the museum: establishment of storage areas and workshops for the historical and aesthetic value. Given coordination will be developed by the conservation of museum the large number of monuments in Istanbul, Ministry of Culture and Tourism as objects; not to speak of those found elsewhere in the country, the projects for the preservation of the sites the coordinator of the Campaign. According to the "Draft Plan of restoration of the palace buildings in the museum area, including the Harem. and monuments in Cappadocia are, in one respect, simpler than the projects planned for Istanbul. At present the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Action" of the Campaign, the following items should be done at Topkapi Palace : The total budget required for these operations is estimated to be $25 million of which the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is budgeting $850,000 The General Directorate of Antiquities * restoration of the Byzantine sea per year over o ten year period and Museums is in charge of the walls and the Ottoman walls sur Amount required $25,000,000 projects in the Göreme and Zelve rounding the palace; Government's contribution 8,500,000 Valleys. relocation of railroad tracks and the removal of extraneous buildings Balance required $16,500,000 not associated with its his On the other hand, three different administrative organisations are involtory; restoration of existing pala The cost estimated for the restoration of the Yildiz Palace is as follows : ved in the projects for Istanbul : ce buildings; archaeological excavation for the kiosks and pavi Amount required $12,500,000 Government's contribution $2,142, Ministry of Culture and Tourism : lions which were recorded in history; Yildiz Palace, Topkapi Palace and Valens Aqueduct. and restoration of the gardens; Balance required $10,357, General Directorate of Vakiflar : The work to save Cappadocia has begun, though so much remains to be done. Further contributions to our attempts are essential in order to overcome all difficulties and rapidly and efficiently find working solutions to the danger threatening the area. Financial contributions can be made to the Cui nnt Account N 24 of the Barbaros Branch of the Emlak and Kredi Bank and to UNESCO Account no Chase Manhattan Bank N. A. International Money Division 1 jvew Ynrk Plnsn. 5th flnnr Mew York. N.Y USA

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