Assist Prof. Dr.

Çiğdem Berdi GÖKHAN

Çankaya University
Department of Interior Architecture
Ottoman Empire
from the Beginning to its
Expention (1299-1920)
OTTOMAN PALACES
 Palaces in capital cities & in
capital cities of Ottoman States
(Eyalets)
 Only few palaces are
remaining, especially from
earlier period of time
 Not enough literature to give
enough information
 Small, wood construction : not
aimed to stay for longer period
of time
THE POSSIBLE
INFLUENCES - 1
 Traditional Turkish house
 Turkish Palaces of Seljuks: Merv,
Kubadabad
 Byzantium palaces
 Islam Palaces: Abbasi, Iran
(Safawi),
 Ottoman administration and
family
Kashan House- Iran I8th C
Byzantium Palaces from Istanbul (restitution)
and Ephesus Plan
Istanbul Great
Byzantion Palace
Men’s Qua. Rooms Livi.guests Characteristics of Typical
(Selamlık) Traditional Turkish
(baş oda)
House:

Door Hall /sofa -hayat Eyvan 1. Ease of expanding to fit

-Seki family’s need
way
(Taşlık) 2. Hierarchy of privacy
3. Multipurpose
Kitchen Rooms 4. Flexible
5. Adabtable
6. Seperation of non family
male guests and family
Projections 7. Importance of view
(Cumba ) towards street, sea,
greenery, openness
Selamlık – Selamlık
Sela– m –
Rooms
Rooms 8. No shoes inside the house
men’s men’s 9. Fixed furniture (built-in
wallunit wardrobes , sofa
seating)
Ante Balcony –terrace
Balcony – Eyvan 10. Cupboard baths
(Taşlık terrace(haya (Seki) 11. Heating with
(hayat) fireplace(hearth),
)
integrated with wall units
Men’s Qua. Rooms Living for Characteristics of Typical
(Selamlık) Traditional Turkish
Guests
House:
(baş oda)
Door Hall /sofa -hayat Eyvan - 1. Ease of expanding to fit
Seki family’s need
way 2. Hierarchy of privacy
(Taşlık) 3. Multipurpose
Kitchen Rooms 4. Flexible
5. Adabtable
6. Seperation of non family
male guests and family
7. Importance of view
Projections towards street, sea,
(Çıkma, ) greenery, openness
Selamlık – Selamlık
Sela– m –
Rooms
Rooms 8. No shoes inside the house
men’s men’s 9. Fixed furniture (built-in
wallunit wardrobes , sofa
seating)
Ante Ant Balcony
Balcony
Ant–terrace
Balcony
– – Eyvan 10. Cupboard baths
(Taşlı e - terrace(haya
e - terrace(hayat)
(Seki) 11. Heating with
(hayat) fireplace(hearth),
k) Taşl Taşl
integrated with wall units
•Wooden structure
•Butresses under projections
•Wide eaves,
•Decorated interior
Edirne Palace
Saray-ı Cedid-i Amire (Yeni Saray)
1450-1468
 Murad I starts
 Architect Shahabettin built
and completed it during
Fatih
 It has 5 courts and all
functions, but ruined
OTTOMAN PALACES
 Edirne Palace
 Topkapı Palace
 Dolmabahçe Palace
 Beylerbeyi Palace
 Küçüksu Qasr
 And many others (once there were more than 100
palaces around Bosphorus)
Palaces and Their Importance
Will be Discussed
 In terms of their style
 In terms of their meaning for Ottomans
 From architectural point of view
 From Interiors Point of View
 What are the things to be learned?
 TOPKAPI

Citadel of
Constantinopole
TOPKAPI PALACE
General Layout
Topkapı Today
Topkapı Today:MUSEUM
 A The first court
 B The second court
 C The third court
 Floor plan of Topkapi palace
 D The fourth court
 1 The middle gate (gate of
greeting)
 2 The kitchens (Chinese and
Japanese Porcelain - Silverware)
 3 The hall of Divan
 4 The tower of justice
 5 The armoury
 6 The gate of Felicity
 7 The Throne room
 8 The costumes
 9 The treasury
 10 The Miniature painting
collection
 11 The clocks
 12 The Pavilion of the Blessed
Mantle
 13 Mecidiye Pavillon
 14 Iftariye (breakfast) and
Baghdad Pavilion
 15 The Harem

Men’s Qua. Rooms Livi.guests Characteristics of Typical
(Selamlık) Traditional Turkish
(baş oda)
House:

Door Hall /sofa -hayat Eyvan 1. Ease of expanding to fit

-Seki family’s need
way
(Taşlık) 2. Hierarchy of privacy
3. Multipurpose
Kitchen Rooms 4. Flexible
5. Adabtable
6. Seperation of non family
male guests and family
Projections 7. Importance of view
(Cumba ) towards street, sea,
greenery, openness
Selamlık – Selamlık
Sela– m –
Rooms
Rooms 8. No shoes inside the house
men’s men’s 9. Fixed furniture (built-in
wallunit wardrobes , sofa
seating)
Ante Balcony –terrace
Balcony – Eyvan 10. Cupboard baths
(Taşlık terrace(haya (Seki) 11. Heating with
(hayat) fireplace(hearth),
)
integrated with wall units
 IMPERIAL CENTER – PALACES OF OTTOMANS
(TOPKAPI PALACE)
Royal HAREM –WOMEN’S QUARTER
Palace
Black eunuchs’ Concubine’s Favorite Women’s
Armed quarter quarter quarter (Hasekiler)
Forces (Cariyeler)

Queen Mother’s Queen’s

quarter (Valide quarter (Has
EMPEROR’S QUARTER Sultan) kadın-baş
haseki)
Justic
e
tower
Summer
Council of ministers Royal State archive and/ or
Royal and Administration Treasury Pashas’
Kitchen kiosks
and other
services of Audience Royal Kiosks
the Palace IMPERIAL ADMINISTRATION Chamber Royal
/Library
Mosque
Characteristics of Topkapı
Architecture wise:
 Magnificent Ottoman empire symbolized by this
magnificently built building, though nothing specially add
to architectural knowledge
 Westernized style – late baroque and neo-classical
 No symmetry in general but each hall has its own strong
symmetry
 Highly ornamented but elegant
 Mixture of western style elements with some ottoman style
ones
Characteristics of Topkapı Palace
Interior architecture wise:
 Built in diffferent period and changed in time
 Early parts have no figures and no stucco painting
 Ottoman produced materials used (Iznik ceramics; local woods and
stones)
 Western materials was not used but baroque interiors designed after
alterations and new additions after Ahmed III),
 Almost no western type of furniture but typical Turkish type built in ones.
 Stylish halls and rooms, a color scheme for different use – deep red for
royalty – for the emperor,
 Small rooms with long side of the bed next to the wall
 Music room with piano
 Parquetry, crystal chandeliers, bibloes, huge vases, table clocks
 No fireplace but ceramic stoves
 Celebration hall (muayede salonu) has seperate central heating system,
hot air supplied through the pedestal of the columns
Characteristics of Topkapi
Concept wise :
 Modest (“Don’t be too proud of yourself his highness there is God
bigger than you” saying) (King’s reception Hall is 10 m square room)
 Yet impresssive (with interior finishes, ceramics, mosaics, and color
choice)
 Justice (Tower of justice, size of rooms)
 Magnificent (overall effect)
 Turkic (Turkish way of living –Turkish House –hierarchy of privacy)
 Islamic (Religeous conservatism in interiors’ design, and privacy)
 Comfortable (no high ceiling thus no noise, moderately heated, sedirs
(low built-in sofa) and sekis for cosiness
 Human scale – neither building nor interiors overhelms
 Humanist
 Harmonious – every single element has its own harmony and have a
harmonic relation to other spaces
 Flexible, adaptable,
 Sustainable
 Durability was not important
Characteristics of Topkapı
Architecture wise:
 Magnificent Ottoman empire symbolized by this
magnificently built building, though nothing specially add
to architectural knowledge
 Westernized style – late baroque and neo-classical
 No symmetry in general but each hall has its own strong
symmetry
 Highly ornamented but elegant
 Mixture of western style elements with some ottoman style
ones
Characteristics of Dolmabahce
Plan layout and organization wise:

 Still same seperation for quarters of:

public/administration X royalty (king) X women
 Seperate entry
 Royal halls like western examples
 Very big celebration hall for mixed genders
 In contrast to big halls still very modest anterooms,
bedrooms and indepartment halls
 Halls for music performances
Characteristics of Topkapı Palace
Interior architecture wise:
 Built in diffferent period and changed in time
 Early parts have no figures and no stucco painting
 Ottoman produced materials used (Iznik ceramics; local woods and
stones)
 Western materials was not used but baroque interiors designed after
alterations and new additions after Ahmed III),
 Almost no western type of furniture but typical Turkish type built in ones.
 Stylish halls and rooms, a color scheme for different use – deep red for
royalty – for the emperor,
 Small rooms with long side of the bed next to the wall
 Music room with piano
 Parquetry, crystal chandeliers, bibloes, huge vases, table clocks
 No fireplace but ceramic stoves
 Celebration hall (muayede salonu) has seperate central heating system,
hot air supplied through the pedestal of the columns
Characteristics of Topkapi
Concept wise :
 Modest (“Don’t be too proud of yourself his highness there is God
bigger than you” saying) (King’s reception Hall is 10 m square room)
 Yet impresssive (with interior finishes, ceramics, mosaics, and color
choice)
 Justice (Tower of justice, size of rooms)
 Magnificent (overall effect)
 Turkic (Turkish way of living –Turkish House –hierarchy of privacy)
 Islamic (Religeous conservatism in interiors’ design, and privacy)
 Comfortable (no high ceiling thus no noise, moderately heated, sedirs
(low built-in sofa) and sekis for cosiness
 Human scale – neither building nor interiors overhelms
 Humanist
 Harmonious – every single element has its own harmony and have a
harmonic relation to other spaces
 Flexible, adaptable,
 Sustainable
 Durability was not important
Topkapı Today:MUSEUM
 A The first court
 B The second court
 C The third court
 Floor plan of Topkapi palace
 D The fourth court
 1 The middle gate (gate of
greeting)
 2 The kitchens (Chinese and
Japanese Porcelain - Silverware)
 3 The hall of Divan
 4 The tower of justice
 5 The armoury
 6 The gate of Felicity
 7 The Throne room
 8 The costumes
 9 The treasury
 10 The Miniature painting
collection
 11 The clocks
 12 The Pavilion of the Blessed
Mantle
 13 Mecidiye Pavillon
 14 Iftariye (breakfast) and
Baghdad Pavilion
 15 The Harem

 Bab-üs Saade
Door of Happiness

Council of Ministers –
Divan-ı Hümayun

Kitchens
Justice
tower
Royal Security
Forces
Zülüflü Baltacılar
Royal
Staples

2nd Court – Bab-üs Selam (Door of Welcoming)

Royal Gate
Bab-ı Hümayun
Royal Gate -
(Bab-ı Hümayun)
Entrance to the 2nd Courtyard
Bab-üs Selam
Gate
 IMPERIAL CENTER – PALACES OF OTTOMANS
(TOPKAPI PALACE)
Royal HAREM –WOMEN’S QUARTER
Palace
Black eunuchs’ Concubine’s Favorite Women’s
Security quarter quarter quarter (Hasekiler)
Forces (Cariyeler)
Zülüflü
Baltacılar
Queen Mother’s Queen’s
quarter (Valide quarter (Has
EMPEROR’S QUARTER Sultan) kadın-baş
haseki)
Justice
tower
Summer
Council of ministers Royal and/ or
Royal State archive
and Administration Treasury Pashas’
Kitchen kiosks
and other
services of Audience Royal Kiosks
the Palace IMPERIAL ADMINISTRATION Chamber Royal
/Library
Mosque
Head of the Vazirs Sadr-i azam gives a lunch party on the honour of the
foreign ambassador to other vazeers (John Baptist Hillaire “Tableau
General”)
Royal hall-scripts follow the meeting –
Kubbealtı- Divanhane
 Tower of Justice-
Adalet kasrı

 A small building tower for the

padishah to listen and watch divan
meetings
Baroque decorations of Divanhane (Royal Court)
Palace kitchens
Palace Kitchens inside – once served to 2-3000
people
From Hünername
Royal Palace Security
Forces Dorms
(Dorm of Axemen
with sidelock of hair)
(Zülüflü Baltacılar
Koğuşu) down-
exterior court
Royal Palace Security Forces Dorms–ceramic walls with
penwork (kelemişi) painting on wood structure
Bab-üs Saade -Gate to More Private Zone – Enderun
(Miniature depicting a Ceramony)
Public Reception Hall of The Emperor (Padishah) Arz
Odası
 Canopy Throne
for the Padishah
 Ahmed the IIIrd
Library and Fountain
Inside the library of Ahmed the IIIrd -1718
Fatih Kiosk – and
padihah’s kaftan
Enderun Treasury
Silver Scheme for
Hirka-i Saadet (
H.R.S) Hz.
Muhammed’s
belongings
Has Bahçe – Royal Gardens at the
fourth Court
 Chamber for Circumsision
Ceremonies - Sünnet Odası
Two of the
fountains
(Çeşme) of
Topkapı
Palace
Some of the kiosks
Revan Kiosk
1634-Murad the IVth
(served as a wardrobe of
padishahs)
 Ahmed the IIIrd
throwing bahshish to
people on the occasion
of his sons’
circumcision ceremony
Bagdat Pavillion Kiosk has been built on the occasion of
Bagdat military expedition
 Bagdat Pavillion is
still in use for
Prime minister’s
Istanbul meetings
Mustafa Pasa Pavillon – before 1682
HAREM Jean Pabtise Hillair 1822
HAREM
Court of Fountain -Şadırvanlı Taşlık
Control area of Black Eunuchs
 Mesjid for Black Eunuchs
and corridor leading their
quarters
Black Eunuchs quarter and
a room for one of them
School for Princes –Şehzadegan Okulu
 School for
Princes
interior–
Şehzadegan
Okulu
Harem door
 A court for
Kadın efendis
(queen) and the
concubines
 Haseki
Sultan
quarter
(Haseki:
concubines
who gave
birth to a boy
to the king)
Kadın efendi bed canopy –(a haseki who get married to the
king)
 Queens (kadınefendi)
quarter
 Hospital of the
harem
Mother Queen’s Courtyard and quarter
(Valide sultan taşlığı)
Mihrishah Mother Queen’s Room –exterior facade –she was the
mother of Selim the IIIrd
 Bedroom of the
queen mother
Hünkar sofası – Hall of the King
For receptions and ceremonies
 Ahmed the IIIrd –
room –has odası
 Baroque
decorations –fruit
room (meyve
odası)
 Small niches –
typical to Turkish
traditional houses
 Reading room for
the king Ahmed the
Ist
 A terrace and a small
pool for resting and
good view
 Different decorations
for Mehmed the Ivth
paavillion – kalemişi –
paintings but not
ceramics
Tulip figure –symbol of Ottomans

 Meaning:
Submission,
Modesty,
Love,
Tree of Life: Eternal Life, sustanable life,
continuity of life according to Islamic belief
Topkapı Mother Queen’s court (Valide
Sultan Tasligi) wall ceramics
 Önce İran’ lı bir ressam olan ve Sahkulu
diye anılan Veli Can, Saray
Başnakkaşlığına getirilmiş ve Saz Yolu
desenler üretmeye başlamıştır. İri
yapraklarla beraber zümrüdü anka
kuşlarını, güvercin ve papağanları,
geyik ve tavşanları, horozları vs.
hayvani motifleri çinilerde kullanmaya
başlamıştır. Onu takiben öğrencisi ve
saray nakkaşbaşı olan Karamemi de,
selvi ve bahar ağaçlarını, asmaları,
lale, gül, sümbül, Manisa lalesi, susen
çiçeği, kantaron çiçeği, zambak, zerrin
çiçeği, karanfil çiçeği ve bunların
goncalarını süslemede pek az miktarda
sadeleştirerek kullanmaya başlamış ve
yeniden kullanılmaya başlanan, kırmızı,
yaprak yeşili, mavi, lacivert, türkuvaz
ve ağaç gövdelerindeki
kahverenkleriyle çinilerinde bir bahar
devri yaşanmıştır.
OTHER PALACES
Dolmabahçe
 Dolmabahce
Palace layout plan

WOMEN’S
ENTRY

ROYAL and VIP

ENTRY

HALL OF
ADMINISTRATIVE CELEBRATIONS /
PUBLIC QUARTER / SELAMLIK /
HAREM
MUAYEDE HALL
ENTRY MABEYN WOMEN’S
QUARTER

S E A
Characteristics of Dolmabahce
Architecture wise:
 Magnificent Ottoman empire symbolized by this
magnificently built building, though nothing specially add
to architectural knowledge
 Westernized style – late baroque and neo-classical
 No symmetry in general but each hall has its own strong
symmetry
 Highly ornamented but elegant
 Mixture of western style elements with some ottoman style
ones
Characteristics of Dolmabahce
Plan layout and organization wise:

 Still same seperation for quarters of:

public/administration X royalty (king) X women
 Seperate entry
 Royal halls like western examples
 Very big celebration hall for mixed genders
 In contrast to big halls still very modest anterooms,
bedrooms and indepartment halls
 Halls for music performances
Characteristics of Dolmabahce
Interior architecture wise:
 Like exterior of the building interiors have baroque style with
ottoman mix
 Western materials like wall papers and wall fabric covers,
 Western type of furniture (mostly imported) –armchairs, sofas,
 Stylish halls and rooms, a color scheme for different use – deep
red for royalty – for the emperor,
 Small rooms with long side of the bed next to the wall
 Music room with piano
 Parquetry, crystal chandeliers, bibloes, huge vases, table clocks
 No fireplace but ceramic stoves
 Celebration hall (muayede salonu) has seperate central heating
system, hot air supplied through the pedestal of the columns