Topkapi Palace, Harem, Courtyard of the Queen Mother

Abstract

The Topkapi Palace, the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans between 1465-1856, is a major tourist attraction containing some of the most holy relics of the Muslim world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, the palace was constructed circa 1459-1465 by order of Sultan Mehmed II. The Imperial Harem, built in the end of the 15th century and evolved into a huge complex in the early 19th century, was mostly designed by architect Mimar Sinan. It occupies a section of the Sultan's private apartments and contains more than 400 rooms. The Harem was the residential quarters of the sultan's mother, Valide Sultan, of the concubines, the Sultan's wives and children and of their servants. The Harem comprises of a series of structures connected by hallways and courtyards. The apartments within the Harem were occupied by the harem eunuchs, the Chief Harem Eunuch, the concubines, the queen mother, the sultan's consorts, the princes and the favorites. Redecorated under the Sultans Mahmud I and Osman III circa 1730-1757 in an Italian-inspired Ottoman Baroque style, these Harem decorations contrast with the Ottoman classical architecture of the Harem's original design.