Who built the Topkapi palace?
Palace
After the conquest of Istanbul by Mehmed the Conqueror at 1453, construction of the Topkapı Palace was started in the year 1460 and completed in 1478. The palace was built upon a 700,000 square meter area on an Eastern Roman Acropolis located on the Istanbul Peninsula between the Sea of Marmara, Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Topkapı Palace was the administrative, educational, and art center of the Empire for nearly four hundred years from Mehmed the Conqueror until Sultan Abdulmecid who was the thirty-first Sultan. Although Topkapi Palace was abandoned by the Ottoman Dynasty by moving to the Dolmabahçe Palace in the middle of the 19th century, Topkapı Palace retained its importance.
Topkapı Palace
The Imperial Hall ("Hünkâr Sofası"), also known as the Imperial Sofa, Throne Room Within or Hall of Diversions, is a domed hall in the Harem, believed to have been built in the late 16th century. It has the largest dome in the palace. The hall served as the official reception hall of the sultan as well as for the entertainment of the Harem. Here the sultan received his confidants, guests, his mother, his first wife ("Hasseki"), consorts, and his children. Entertainments, paying of homage during religious festivals, and wedding ceremonies took place here in the presence of the members of the dynasty.
Topkapı Palace
The Conqueror’s Pavilion, also called the "Conqueror's Kiosk" ("Fatih Köşkü") is one of the oldest buildings inside the palace. It was built c. 1460, when the palace was first constructed. It consists of two floors raised on a terrace above the garden, built at the top of the promontory on a cliff with a magnificent view from its porch of the Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus. The lower floor consisted of service rooms, while the upper floor was a suite of four apartments and a large loggia with double arches. All the rooms open onto the Third Courtyard through a monumental arcade. The colonnaded portico on the side of the garden is connected to each of the four halls by a large door. The pavilion was used as the treasury for the revenues from Egypt under Sultan Selim I. During excavations in the basement, a small Byzantine baptistery built along a trefoil plan was found. It houses the Imperial Treasury ("Hazine-i Âmire").
The Imperial Treasury is a vast collection of artworks, jewelry, heirlooms and money belonging to the Ottoman dynasty. The Chief Treasurer ("Hazinedarbaşı") was responsible for the Imperial Treasury.
Topkapı Palace
The imperial stables ("Istabl-ı Âmire"), located around five to six meters below ground level, were constructed under Mehmed II and renovated under Suleyman. A vast collection of harness "treasures" ("Raht Hazinesi") are kept in the privy stables. This area also has a small 18th-century mosque and the bath of Beşir Ağa ("Beşir Ağa Camii ve Hamamı"), who was the chief black eunuch of Mahmud I.
Topkapı Palace
Behind the Audience Chamber on the eastern side is the Dormitory of the Expeditionary Force ("Seferli Koğuşu"), which houses the Imperial Wardrobe Collection ("Padişhah Elbiseleri Koleksiyonu"). This collection is made up of around 2,500 garments, invluding the precious kaftans of the Sultans. It also houses a collection of 360 ceramic objects. The dormitory was constructed under Sultan Murad IV in 1635. The building was restored by Sultan Ahmed III in the early 18th century. The dormitory is vaulted and is supported by 14 columns. Adjacent to the dormitory, located northeast, is the Conqueror's Pavilion, which houses the Imperial Treasury.
Topkapı Palace
This treasury was used to finance the administration of the state. The kaftans given as presents to the viziers, ambassadors and residents of the palace by the financial department and the sultan and other valuable objects were also stored here. The janissaries were paid their quarterly wages (called "uluefe") from this treasury, which was closed by the imperial seal entrusted to the grand vizier. In 1928, four years after the Topkapı Palace was converted into a museum, its collection of arms and armor was put on exhibition in this building.
Topkapi (film)
It was produced and directed by the emigre American film director Jules Dassin. The film is based on Eric Ambler's novel "The Light of Day" (1962), adapted as a screenplay by Monja Danischewsky.
Baltadji
The company guarding the Old Palace, which following the construction of the Topkapı was relegated to a residence of the sultans' mothers, was originally responsible to the Kapi Agha, but after the 17th century to the Kizlar Agha. The latter often used educated members of the Old Palace "baltadji" company as personal secretaries or as clerks in the administration of the pious endowments of the Holy Cities. Other men of this company were appointed as chief coffee-makers ("kahvedji bashi") to the "valide sultanas" and various princesses.
Topusko
King Andrija II goes to the holy war to Jerusalem at the beginning of the 13th century, and makes a vow that in case he comes back he will build a monastery and an abbey in Topusko, in token of gratitude. In 1233 he finishes the chapel and monastery and gives them to the Cistercians. This is their first monastery in Croatia, and the edifice itself is the first one built in Gothic style in the area south from France. The three hundred year dominance of the Cistercians began to weaken in wars with the Turks, who broke towards Vienna through these areas. Under the leadership of the Bosnian pasha Makoc beg, the Turkish troops destroyed the abbey in 1558. Only the front of that monumental edifice remained.
Topkapı Palace
At the end of the imperial stables are the Dormitories of the Halberdiers with Tresses ("Zülüflü Baltacılar Koğušu"). The responsibilities of the halberdiers included carrying wood to the palace rooms and service for some of the palace quarters. The halberdiers wore long tresses to signify their higher position. The first mention of this corps is around 1527, when they were established to clear the roads ahead of the army during a campaign. The dormitory was founded in the 15th century. It was enlarged by the chief architect Davud Ağa in 1587, during the reign of Sultan Murad III. The dormitories are constructed around a main courtyard in the traditional layout of an Ottoman house, with baths and a mosque, as well as recreational rooms such as a pipe-room. On the outside and inside of the complex, many pious foundation inscriptions about the various duties and upkeep of the quarters can be found. In contrast to the rest of the palace, the quarters are constructed of red and green painted wood.
Topkapı Palace
The Terrace Mosque, also called Sofa Mosque ("Sofa Camii"), was constructed under Mahmud II in the Empire style for the use of the corps called "Sofa Ocağ"i in the 19th century. The Kiosk of the Swordbearer ("Silahdar Köşkü") used to stand in its place. The inscription at the gate of the mosque indicated that it was restored under Sultan Abdülmecid I in 1858.
Architect Kasemi
After the death of chief court architect Hasan Agha in 1622, he became the chief architect of the Ottoman Empire, and has created original monumental works such as Baghdad Kiosk, Revan Kiosk, Tiled Kiosk within Topkapı Palace in Istanbul. He rebuilt one of the most beautiful buildings of Topkapı Palace, Basketmakers' Kiosk at Sarayburnu. Architect Kasım Agha projected the second largest covered shopping mall, the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü, which was completed in 1660 by Architect Mustafa. He constructed also many works in Albania such as inns, bridges, baths and the tracks of Medieval roads in Berat, Korcë, etc.
Istanbul
Among the oldest surviving examples of Ottoman architecture in Istanbul are the Anadoluhisarı and Rumelihisarı fortresses, which assisted the Ottomans during their siege of the city. Over the next four centuries, the Ottomans made an indelible impression on the skyline of Istanbul, building towering mosques and ornate palaces. The largest palace, Topkapı, includes a diverse array of architectural styles, from Baroque inside the Harem, to its Neoclassical style Enderûn Library. The imperial mosques include Fatih Mosque, Bayezid Mosque, Yavuz Selim Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque), and Yeni Mosque, all of which were built at the peak of the Ottoman Empire, in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the following centuries, and especially after the "Tanzimat" reforms, Ottoman architecture was supplanted by European styles. An example of which is the imperial Nuruosmaniye Mosque. Areas around İstiklal Avenue were filled with grand European embassies and rows of buildings in Neoclassical, Renaissance Revival and Art Nouveau styles, which went on to influence the architecture of a variety of structures in Beyoğlu—including churches, stores, and theaters—and official buildings such as Dolmabahçe Palace.
Toompea Castle
In 1710, Sweden lost the territory of modern-day Estonia to the Russian Empire. The Russian administration eventually carried out large reconstruction schemes and turned the castle definitively into a palace. A new dominating wing in Baroque and Neoclassical style, designed by Johann Schultz, was added in the eastern part of the castle complex. It housed the administration of the Governorate and the living quarters of the governor. During the czarist era, a public park was also laid out to the south-east of the castle, and an archive building erected nearby.
Édouard Empain
Today, Baron Empain is perhaps best known by modern visitors to Egypt for the building of a palace (the "Palais Hindou") in the Avenue des Palais (renamed Orouba Avenue following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952) Heliopolis, Egypt. Inspired by Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the Hindu temples of Orissa, the Baron Empain palace was designed by French architect Alexandre Marcel (1860–1928) and decorated by Georges-Louis Claude (1879–1963), with construction being completed in 1911.
Priory Palace
Priory Palace is an original palace in Gatchina (Гатчина), Russia. It was built in 1799 by the architect N. A. Lvov on the shore of the "Black Lake" "(Chyornoye ozero / Чёрное озеро)". Constructed for the Russian Grand Priory of the Order of St John, it was presented to the Order by a decree of Paul I of Russia dated August 23, 1799.
Tiruchirappalli
The Chokkanatha Nayak Palace, which houses the Rani Mangammal Mahal, was built by the Madurai Nayaks in the 17th century; it has now been converted into a museum. The Nawab's palace, the Railway Heritage Centre, the Upper Anaicut constructed by Sir Arthur Cotton, and the world's oldest functional dam, the Grand Anaicut, are some of the other important structures in Tiruchirappalli.
Iznik pottery
During the first half of the 16th century underglaze painted blue-and-white ceramics were also produced in Istanbul. A surviving account book for 1526 that records wages paid to craftsmen employed by the Ottoman court, lists a tilemaker from Tabriz with ten assistants. The tilemaker was probably one of the craftsmen brought to Istanbul after Selim I had temporary captured Tabriz in 1514. The tile workshops were located in the Tekfur Sarayı neighbourhood of the city near the Palace of the Porphyrogenitus. The craftsmen are believed to have been responsible for all the tiles on the imperial buildings until the construction of the Süleymaniye Mosque in the 1550s. Most of the tiles were decorated with coloured glazes using the "cuerda seca" (dry cord) technique, but in a few cases the tiles were underglaze painted in cobalt blue and turquoise. These underglaze tiles were used on the revetments of the facade of the Holy Mantle Pavilion (Privy Chamber) in the grounds of the Topkapı Palace and within the mausoleum of Çoban Mustafa Pasha (d. 1529) in Gebze. The most striking examples are five extremely large rectangular tiles, in length, that form part of the façade of the Circumcision Room (Sünnet Odası) of the Topkapı Palace. Although the building dates from 1641, the tiles are believed to come from an earlier structure on the same site that was erected in 1527–1528. These large tiles are decorated with very elaborate designs that suggests the close involvement of the court designers.
Thomas Vásári
Vásári was a courtly knight at least since 1344. Following the extinction of the Felsőlendvai family in 1358, he was granted the castle of Rupoly (or Ropoly) and its surrounding lands (today part of Kaposvár) by Louis I of Hungary. The castle laid in one of the islands of the swampland along the Kapos river. Thereafter Vásári became a prominent landowner in Somogy County. There Thomas Vásári and his sons built a new castle, which was first mentioned by contemporary sources in 1387. Thereafter the family was called with the surname Rupolújvári (lit. "Rupol's New Castle"). His sons, Stephen and John were involved in the 1403 noble uprising against King Sigismund, who confiscated their castle and lands and divided its accessories and handed over to Martin Szerdahelyi and John Tamási. Thomas Vásári also had an unidentified daughter, who married Francis Bebek, Ban of Macsó.
Thapathali Durbar
Thapathali Durbar was a palace complex in Kathmandu, the capital of the Nepal. Thapathali means abode of the Thapas. It was initially built by the Bagale Thapa family but was later occupied by Jung Bahadur Rana, as prime minister the executive head of Nepal. The palace complex, located north of the Bagmati river, encompasses an impressive and vast array of courtyards, gardens, and buildings. Many palaces and buildings were built throughout late 1840s to 1900, initially by Nain Singh Thapa, a member of the aristocratic Thapa family and brother of Bhimsen Thapa, and later was acquired by Nain Singh Thapa's grandson Jung Bahadur Rana. Further additions were made by successive Ranas up to the 19th century.
Stockholm Palace
After the fire, the Regency Council of King Charles XII under the direction of the Queen dowager Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp at the Karlberg Palace that a new castle should be built on the walls of the burnt castle. Nicodemus Tessin the Younger was the architect appointed to draw and build the new Stockholm Palace. At the same time that Tessin's plans were approved, he was appointed head of the construction of the palace as part of his new position: "Överintendent över de Kungliga Slotten" (Superintendent of the Royal Castles), a kind of castle architect. Göran Josuæ Törnquist (later ennobled Adelcrantz) became the Assisting intendent and his deputy, an important position at the construction site, and Hans Conradt Buchegger became general contractor for the palace construction. In 1697, Abraham Winantz Svanssköld, Tessin's half brother, was appointed deputy castle and court architect. Together with Tessin he was active at the palace construction and they were helped by several German journeymen. Important sculptors and craftsmen during the first years of the construction were, among others, René Chauveau, Bernard Foucquet and his son Jacques Foucquet.
Baroque architecture
The Tanzimat Era caused more architectural development. The architectural change continued with Sultan Mahmud II, one of the most reformist sultans in Turkish History. One of his sons, Sultan Abdülmecid, and his family left the Topkapı Palace and moved to the Dolmabahçe Palace, which is the first European-style palace in the country.
Kamlapati Palace
Kamalapati Palace lies on the eastern side of the ancient embankment known as Bhojpal, built by the Parmara King Bhoj (AD 1010-1055) from which the present name Bhopal is derived. The existing structure is a part of the palace which was constructed by Rani Kamlapati, the widow of Nizam Shah, General Chief of Ginnogarh in AD 1722. On the Western side of this palace are the remains of Fatehgarh Fort on the hill which was built by Sardar Dost Mohammad of Bhopal (AD 1708-1726) who laid the foundation of modern Bhopal.
Kamlapati palace is an example of contemporary secular architecture of the early eighteenth century and the earliest extant example in the Bhopal Town. This double storied building is constructed of lakhauri bricks having a facade with cusped arches supported on the fluted pillars, merlons having the shape of lotus petals and brackets supporting the Chhajjas.This monument was declared protected by the Government of India in 1989 and since then Archaeological Survey of India remains the custodian.
Palace
After the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, Topkapı Palace was transformed into a museum on April 3, 1924. It was also the first museum of the Republic of Turkey. Topkapı Palace Museum covers approximately 400,000 square meters at the present day. Topkapı Palace is separated from the city on the land-side by the Imperial Walls, which were constructed by Mehmed the Conqueror. It is separated from the city on the sea-side by the Byzantine Walls. Topkapı Palace is one of the largest palace-museums with its architectural structures, collections, and approximately 300,000 archive papers.
Gatchina Palace
In 1765, Catherine the Great, the Empress of the Russian Empire, purchased from Prince Boris Kurakin the Gatchina Manor, a small manor south of the royal capital of Saint Petersburg. Catherine presented the manor to Count Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov, who had reportedly organized the assassination of Tsar Peter III three years earlier, resulting in her becoming empress. Orlov was a favorite of Catherine's, and Gatchina Manor was gifted to him as gratitude for his role in the "coup d'etat". On 30 May 1766, construction of a new palace in the Classical architecture style began on a hill next to Lake Serebryany on the grounds of Gatchina Manor. Catherine and Orlov commissioned the new palace to be designed by Antonio Rinaldi, an architect from Italy who was particularly popular in Russia at the time. Rinaldi's design contained Russian architectural features combined with those of a medieval castle and an English hunting castle. The palace was to be lined with special stone mined in villages near to Gatchina, including parik limestone mined in Paritsy for the main exterior of the buildings, and pudost stone from Pudost for the vestibule and the parapet above the cornice. Gatchina Palace became the first palace to be located in Saint Petersburg's suburbs, as large estates were typically built within a short distance of the city center. Construction was slow, with the main structure only being completed by the end of 1768 and work on the exterior decoration not being completed until 1772, with the interior delayed further into the late 1770s. The Great Gatchina Palace was finally completed in 1781, almost 15 years after construction began, and Orlov died only two years later in 1783.
Following Orlov's death, Catherine took such a great liking to Gatchina Palace and its accompanying park that she bought it from his heirs. She presented it to her son, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (the future Tsar Paul I), despite already building him a home, Pavlovsk Palace, in Saint Petersburg. During the years before coming to the throne, Paul his limited remaining budget on investing in building the town of Gatchina around his new palace, and used his experience from his travels around Europe to make it an exemplary palace and town. In the 1790s Paul expanded and rebuilt much of the palace, commissioning Vincenzo Brenna and Andrei Zakharov with the renovations. The interiors were redone in the Neoclassical style, numerous additions were added to the park such as bridges, gates, and pavilions, naming areas of the park "The Isle of Love", "The Private garden", "The Holland garden" and "The Labyrinth". In 1796, after the death of his mother, Paul became Tsar Paul I of Russia, and granted Gatchina the status of Imperial City, a designation for the official residences of the Russian monarchs. After the death of Paul in 1801, Gatchina Palace came into the ownership of his wife Maria Feodorovna, who in 1809 requested the architect Andrei Nikiforovich Voronikhin make small alterations in the palace to adapt it "in case of winter stay". In 1835, a signal optical telegraph was installed on one of the towers.
In the 1840s, Gatchina Palace was now in the ownership of Tsar Nicholas I, who initiated major reconstruction works of the palace, particularly of its grounds. Roman Ivanovich Kuzmin, the chief architect of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, led the project centred on the palace's main square, which was completely torn up, raised in height, had basement levels added underneath, and decoration remodelled. The adjoining buildings were also raised in height by one storey, and because the main building no longer dominated the palace Kuzmin had its towers raised an extra storey. A new canopy was added to the balcony overlooking the parade grounds, which was intended to be made from marble but was later made from cast iron instead. Dilapidated bastions and retaining walls around the palace were demolished and rebuilt.
Topkapı Palace
Many of the eunuchs’ quarters face this courtyard, which is the first one of the Harem, since they also acted as guards under the command of the Chief Harem Eunuch.
The spaces surrounding this courtyard were rebuilt after the great fire of 1665. The complex includes the dormitory of the Harem eunuchs behind the portico, the quarters of the Chief Harem Eunuch ("Darüssaade Ağası") and the School of Princes as well as the Gentlemen-in-Waiting of the Sultan ("Musahipler Dairesi") and the sentry post next to it. The main entrance gate of the Harem and the gate of the Kuşhane connected the Enderûn court leads out into the Kuşhane door.
Topkapı Palace
The building where the arms and armor are exhibited was originally one of the palace treasuries ("Dîvân-ı Hümâyûn Hazinesi / Hazine-ı Âmire"). Since there was another ("inner") treasury in the Third Courtyard, this one was also called "outer treasury" ("dış hazine"). Although it contains no dated inscriptions, its construction technique and plan suggest that it was built at the end of the 15th century during the reign of Süleiman I. It subsequently underwent numerous alterations and renovations. It is a hall built of stone and brick with eight domes, each 5 x 11.40 m.
Ögedei Khan
From 1235–38 Ögedei constructed a series of palaces and pavilions at stopping places in his annual nomadic route through central Mongolia. The first palace Wanangong was constructed by North Chinese artisans. The Emperor urged his relatives build residences nearby and settled the deported craftsmen from China near the site. The construction of the city, Karakorum (Хархорум), was finished in 1235, assigning different quarters to Islamic and North Chinese craftsmen, who competed to win Ögedei's favor. Earthen walls with 4 gates surrounded the city. Attached were private apartments, while in front of stood a giant stone tortoise bearing an engraved pillar, like those that were commonly used in East Asia. There was a castle with doors like the gates of the garden and a series of lakes where many water fowl gathered. Ögedei erected several houses of worship for his Buddhist, Muslim, Taoist, and Christian followers. In the Chinese ward, there was a Confucian temple where Yelu Chucai used to create or regulate a calendar on the Chinese model.
Royal Palace of Bucharest
The new Royal Palace, as it stands today, was erected in 1936–1937 under the direct supervision of Queen Marie and her son, King Carol II. The architect of the building was Nicolae Nenciulescu. During World War II, a complete rebuild of the Palace's Place was planned, in order to underline the Royal Palace's full monumentality, but this architectural project was never completed.
Alexander I Palace
The mansion was built in 1806 and belonged to different owners. The most significant of them was the Governor of Taganrog Pyotr Papkov. Emperor Alexander I of Russia stayed there twice – in 1818 and 1825. After his death the building was bought by his widow empress consort Elizabeth Alexeievna (Louise of Baden) and the first memorial museum in Russia dedicated to the Emperor was established there. Among the visitors to the palace of Alexander I were the Russian emperors Alexander II of Russia and Alexander III, poets Alexander Pushkin and Vasily Zhukovsky, artist Ivan Aivazovsky, People’s commissar of enlightenment Anatoly Lunacharsky, and many others.
Varadis Palace
Varadis Palace (; ) is the former residence of Prince Tisavarakumarn, the Prince Damrong Rajanubhab on Nang Loeng Road in Bangkok, Thailand. The palace was built in 1911 by German architect Karl Döhring during the reign of King Rama V to the reign of King Rama IV. After Prince Tisavarakumarn died at this palace on 1 December 1943, the palace was preserved by his heir Mom Rajawongse Sangkadis Diskul.
Topkapı Palace
Adjacent to the north of the Imperial Treasury lays the pages dormitory, which has been turned into the Miniature and Portrait Gallery ("Müzesi Müdüriyeti"). On the lower floor is a collection of important calligraphies and miniatures. In the displays, one can see old and very precious Qur'ans (12th to 17th centuries), hand-painted and hand-written in Kufic, and also a Bible from the 4th century, written in Arabic. A priceless item of this collection is the first world map by the Turkish admiral Piri Reis (1513). The map shows parts of the western coasts of Europe and North Africa with reasonable accuracy, and the coast of Brazil is also easily recognizable. The upper part of the gallery contains 37 portraits of different sultans, most of which are copies since the original paintings are too delicate to be publicly shown. The portrait of Mehmed II was painted by the Venetian painter Gentile Bellini. Other precious Ottoman miniature paintings that are either kept in this gallery, the palace library or in other parts are the "Hünername", "Sahansahname", the "Sarayı Albums", "Siyer-ı Nebi", "Surname-ı Hümayun", "Surname-ı Vehbi", and the "Süleymanname" among many others.
Dolmabahçe Palace
A clock tower ("Dolmabahçe Saat Kulesi") was erected in front of the Imperial Gate (Saltanat Kapisi) on a square along the European waterfront of Bosphorus next to the mosque. The tower was ordered by Sultan Abdülhamid II and designed by the court architect Sarkis Balyan between 1890 and 1895. Its clock was manufactured by the French clockmaker house of Jean-Paul Garnier, and installed by the court clock master Johann Mayer.
Ice palace
In the cold winter of 1739–1740, Anna Ivanovna gave an order to build a palace made of ice in St. Petersburg. The palace and the surrounding festivities were part of the celebration of Russia's victory over the Ottoman Empire. She ordered the architect Pyotr Yeropkin to design the building. It was built under the supervision of Georg Krafft who left a detailed description of the palace.
Tiškevičiai Palace, Palanga
Tyszkiewicz family member, Feliks Tyszkiewicz, contacted famous German architect Franz Heinrich Schwechten to construct a new palace; their old estate was a wooden manor on the banks of Rąžė River. The first stage of construction lasted until 1897, consisting of the terrace and main residence building. The two story building had regular form with an arched terrace, decorated with sculptures from France. Although mainly italian neo-Renaissance in style, it also has neoclassical and baroque elements. Because in 1907 his wife, Antonina, delivered a healthy baby boy (Stanislaw) after a worrisome pregnancy, Feliks commissioned a sculpture of the blessing Jesus for the front of the palace. While the creator of this sculpture is unclear, there is evidence it was made by Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen or his apprentice. In 1948 the religious sculpture was torn down under the instructions by the Lithuanian communist authorities. It was reconstructed based on surviving photographs in 1993. Almost a decade after the construction of the palace, the owners started to construct a chapel near by, also designed by Schwechten.
Topkapı Palace
The dormitories of the Harem eunuchs ("Harem Ağaları Koğuşu") date to the 16th century. They are arranged around an inner courtyard in three storeys.
The inscription on the facade of the dormitory includes the deeds of trust of the Sultans Mustafa IV, Mahmud II and Abdül Mecid I dating from the 19th century.
The rooms on the upper stories were for novices and those below overlooking the courtyard were occupied by the eunuchs who had administrative functions.
There is a monumental fireplace revetted with the 18th-century Kütahya tiles at the far end.
The Chief Harem Eunuch's apartment ("Darüssaade Ağasi Dairesi") adjacent to the dormitory contains a bath, living rooms and bedrooms.
The school room of the princes under the control of the Chief Harem eunuch was on the upper story.
The walls were revetted with 18th-century European tiles with baroque decorations.
Topkapı Palace
The arms collection ("Silah Seksiyonu Sergi Salonu"), which consists primarily of weapons that remained in the palace at the time of its conversion, is one of the richest assemblages of Islamic arms in the world, with examples spanning 1,300 years from the 7th to the 20th centuries. The palace's collection of arms and armor consists of objects manufactured by the Ottomans themselves, or gathered from foreign conquests, or given as presents. Ottoman weapons form the bulk of the collection, but it also includes examples of Umayyad and Abbasid swords, as well as Mamluk and Persian armor, helmets, swords and axes. A lesser number of European and Asian arms make up the remainder of the collection. Currently on exhibition are some 400 weapons, most of which bear inscriptions.
Ruins of Jaffna kingdom
The construction of the Royal Palace has been ordered by Cinkai Ariyan Cekaracacekaran. But, another source says the palace and a flower garden was built by a Tamil king named Koolanghai in 104 AD.
Grand Palace
Construction of the palace began on 6 May 1782, at the order of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I), the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, when he moved the capital city from Thonburi to Bangkok. Throughout successive reigns, many new buildings and structures were added, especially during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). By 1925, the king, the Royal Family and the government were no longer permanently settled at the palace, and had moved to other residences. After the abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932, all government agencies completely moved out of the palace.
Topkapı Palace
The rectilinear Terrace Kiosk ("Sofa Köşku / Merdiven Başı Kasrı"), also erroneously known as Kiosk of Kara Mustafa Pasha ("Mustafa Paşa Köşkü"), was a belvedere built in the second half of the 16th century. It was restored in 1704 by Sultan Ahmed III and rebuilt in 1752 by Mahmud I in the Rococo style. It is the only wooden building in the innermost part of the palace. It consists of rooms with the backside supported by columns.
Czapski Palace
The Czapski Palace changed owners at least ten times. It was the residence of Stanisław Małachowski, Marshal of the Sejm, who in 1791 co-authored the world's second, and Europe's first, codified written national constitution—the Constitution of May 3, 1791. Małachowski and his wife Konstancja, née Czapska(daughter of Thomas Czapski), in the mid-eighteenth century remodeled the palace into a French-style city palace. Added around the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were two classicist annexes designed by Jan Chrystian Kamsetzer. Another famous resident of the palace (1808–26) was Zygmunt Vogel, an artist who specialized in watercolor and drawing and was a professor in the University of Warsaw Department of Fine Arts.
Alcsútdoboz
Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary had his palace there. It was constructed by the renowned architect Mihály Pollack. It was destroyed during World War II, with only the portico remaining.
Basketmakers' Kiosk
Built in 1591 by Sultan Murad III and renovated by Sultan Mahmud I in 1739, it is the only surviving building from a row of many assorted pavilions and palaces constructed within the outer yard of Topkapı Palace. According to the text on the epigraph on the door arch of the pavilion, the pavilion, which was located within the borders of Topkapı Palace in the era when it was constructed, was reconstructed in 1643 in Sultan Ibrahim’s era (1640–1658), and renewed in 1739 in Sultan Mahmut I’s era (1730–1754).
Gödöllő Palace
The palace is one of the most important, largest monuments of Hungarian palace architecture. Its builder, Count Antal Grassalkovich I (1694–1771) was a typical figure of the regrouping Hungarian aristocracy of the 18th century. He was a Royal Septemvir, president of the Hungarian Chamber, and confidant of Empress Maria Theresa (1740–1780). The construction began around 1733, under the direction of András Mayerhoffer (1690–1771) a famous builder from Salzburg who worked in Baroque and Zopf style.
Sublime Porte
In the 18th century, a new great Italian-styled office building was built just west of Topkapi Palace area, on the other side of Alemdar Caddesi street. This became the location of the Grand Vizier and many ministries. Thereafter, this building, and the monumental gate leading to its courtyards, became known as the Sublime Porte ("Bab-ı Ali"); colloquially it was also known as the Gate of the Page ("paşa kapusu"). The building was badly damaged by fire in 1911. Today, the buildings house the provincial Governor of Istanbul.
Bosporus
The Bosphorus has 620 waterfront houses ("yalı") built during the Ottoman period along the strait's European and Asian shorelines. Ottoman palaces such as the Topkapı Palace, Dolmabahçe Palace, Yıldız Palace, Çırağan Palace, Feriye Palaces, Beylerbeyi Palace, Küçüksu Palace, Ihlamur Palace, Hatice Sultan Palace, Adile Sultan Palace and Khedive Palace are within its view. Buildings and landmarks within view include the Hagia Sophia, Hagia Irene, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Yeni Mosque, Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque, Nusretiye Mosque, Dolmabahçe Mosque, Ortaköy Mosque, Üsküdar Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, Yeni Valide Mosque, Maiden's Tower, Galata Tower, Rumelian Castle, Anatolian Castle, Yoros Castle, Selimiye Barracks, Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Sadberk Hanım Museum, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Borusan Museum of Contemporary Art, Tophane-i Amire Museum, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Galatasaray University, Boğaziçi University, Robert College, Kabataş High School, Kuleli Military High School.
Palace of Happiness
Mukhtarv often took his wife Lisa Tuganova, who was of Ossetian origin and the daughter of the Russian General Tuganov, on expensive trips to Europe. During one of their trips to France, they came across a beautiful French Gothic building. Lisa, astonished by its architecture said: "How happy the tenants of this building must be." Mukhtarov did not reply but on his return to Baku, he ordered his people off to France to purchase blue prints of the building and bring them back to Baku. An exact copy of the building was raised in central Baku within nine months. On its completion in 1912, Mukhtarov surprised his wife by driving her there in a carriage and telling her that it was her new residence.
Independence Palace
On 27 February 1962, two pilots of Diệm's Republic of Vietnam Air Force, Nguyễn Văn Cử and Phạm Phú Quốc, rebelled and flew two A-1 Skyraider aircraft towards the palace and bombed it, instead of going on a raid against the Việt Cộng. As a result, almost the entire left wing was destroyed. However, Diệm and his family escaped the assassination attempt. As it was almost impossible to restore the palace, Diệm ordered it demolished and commissioned a new building in its place. The new palace was constructed according to a design by Ngô Viết Thụ, a Vietnamese architect who won the First Grand Prize of Rome (Grand Prix de Rome) in 1955, the highest recognition of the Beaux-Arts school in Paris. He was also a laureate of the Prix de Rome awarded by the French government.
History of Istanbul
"Foundations" is vakifs in Turkish. The Grand Bazaar (1455) and Topkapı Palace (1459) were erected in the years following the Turkish conquest. Religious foundations were endowed to fund the building of mosques such as the Fatih (1463) and their associated schools and public baths. The city had to be repopulated by a mixture of force and encouragement.
Adile Sultan Palace
The palace was built for the Ottoman princess Adile Sultan (1826–1899), the daughter of Sultan Mahmud II (1789–1839) and the sister of the Sultans Abdülmecid I (1823–1861) and Abdülaziz (1830–1876), and designed by the court architect Sarkis Balyan. It was erected on the same place of a kiosk, which was presented to her by Sultan Abdülmecid in 1856. The palace was commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz and built by Balyan in 1861. It stands at one of the most prominent places in Istanbul, upon a hill, which is a headland in the middle of Bosphorus on the Asian shore. This location enables a panoramic view of Bosphorus, reaching from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea, seen out of all the rooms in three sides of the building. The palace with has 55 rooms and is on a ground of 17,000 m².
Topkapı Palace
To the west and south the complex is bordered by the large imperial flower park, known today as Gülhane Park. Various related buildings such as small summer palaces ("kasır"), pavilions, kiosks ("köşk") and other structures for royal pleasures and functions formerly existed at the shore in an area known as the Fifth Courtyard, but have disappeared over time due to neglect and the construction of the shoreline railroad in the 19th century. The last remaining seashore structure that still exists today is the Basketmakers' Kiosk, constructed in 1592 by Sultan Murad III.
Taj Mahal (palace)
Taj Mahal is a palace built by Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal. It is located beside the Taj-ul-Masajid in Bhopal, India.
Topkapı Palace
The first court pharmacy was established during the reign of Mehmed II. There were also other pharmacies and infirmaries at the palace besides this particular one. According to a legend, Enderunlu Tayyar Efendi, who was the Chief Tutor ("Baş Lala") during the reign of Sultan Selim III, saw from the upper floor of this tower the rebels coming to the palace to assassinate the sultan and alarmed the sultan's loyalists. The historian Afa writes that the tower was more than two floors higher than today but today it only has two storeys left.
Yıldız Palace
In the late 19th century, Sultan Abdülhamid II left Dolmabahçe Palace because he feared a seaside attack on the palace, which is located at the shore of the Bosporus strait. He expanded the Yıldız Palace and ordered the renowned Italian architect Raimondo D'Aronco to build new buildings to the palace complex. When he moved there, the palace became the fourth seat of Ottoman government (the previous ones were the "Eski Saray" Old Palace in Edirne, and the Topkapı Palace and Dolmabahçe Palaces in Istanbul.
Topkapı Palace
In 1574, after a great fire destroyed the kitchens, Mimar Sinan was entrusted by Sultan Selim II to rebuild the damaged parts of the palace. Mimar Sinan restored and expanded not only the damaged areas, but also the Harem, baths, the Privy Chamber and various shoreline pavilions.
By the end of the 16th century, the palace had acquired its present appearance. The palace is an extensive complex rather than a single monolithic structure, with an assortment of low buildings constructed around courtyards, interconnected with galleries and passages. Few of the buildings exceed two stories. Seen from above, the palace grounds are divided into four main courtyards and the harem. The first courtyard was the most accessible, while the fourth courtyard and the harem were the most inaccessible. Access to these courtyards was restricted by high walls and controlled with gates. Apart from the four to five main courtyards, various other small to mid-sized courtyards exist throughout the complex. Estimates of the total size of the complex varies from around to .
Jurakudai
The Jurakudai or Jurakutei (聚楽第) was a lavish palace constructed at the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Kyoto, Japan. Construction began in 1586, when Hideyoshi had taken the post of kanpaku, and required 19 months. The location is in present-day Kamigyō, on the site where the Imperial palace had stood in the Heian period.
Palace
The Palace of Shaki Khans (Azerbaijani: Şəki xanlarının sarayı) in Shaki, Azerbaijan was a summer residence of Shaki Khans. It was built in 1797 by Muhammed Hasan Khan. Along with its pool and plane trees, the summer residence is the only remaining structure from the larger palatial complex inside the Sheki Khans' Fortress, which once included a winter palace, residences for the Khan's family and servants' quarters. It features decorative tiles, fountains and several stained-glass windows. The exterior was decorated with dark blue, turquoise and ochre tiles in geometric patterns and the murals were coloured with tempera and were inspired by the works of Nizami Ganjavi.
Topkapı Palace
The Topkapı Palace ( or in , "Ṭopḳapu Sarāyı"), or the Seraglio, is a large museum in Istanbul, Turkey. In the 15th century, it served as the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans.
Topkapı Palace
Later sultans made various modifications to the palace, though Mehmed II's basic layout was mostly preseved. The palace was significantly expanded between 1520 and 1560, during the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent. The Ottoman Empire had expanded rapidly and Suleyman wanted his residence to reflect its growing power. The chief architect in this period was the Persian Alaüddin, also known as Acem Ali. He was also responsible for the expansion of the Harem.
Ataman Palace
The Ataman Palace was being built from 1860 to 1863 on the project of architect . Soon it was decided that the Palace should serve as the residence not only of the Don Ataman, but of the Russian Emperor as well, if he came to Novocherkassk. In 1867, after the failed assassination attempt of Alexander II, a House Church of Saint Simeon of Persia was constructed at the palace.
Tauride Palace
Prince Grigory Potemkin of Tauride commissioned his favourite architect, Ivan Starov, to design his city residence in a rigorous Palladian style. Starov's design called for an extensive park and harbour in front of the palace, which would be linked with the Neva River by a canal. Building work began in 1783 and lasted for six years. Considered the grandest nobleman's residence of 18th-century Russia, Tauride Palace served as a model for innumerable manors scattered across the Russian Empire.
Topkapı Palace
The Imperial Council building was first built during the reign of Mehmed II. The present building dates from the period of Süleyman the Magnificent; the chief architect was Alseddin. It had to be restored after the Harem fire of 1665. According to the entrance inscription it was also restored during the periods of Selim III and Mahmud II; on its façade are verse inscriptions that mention the restoration work carried out in 1792 and 1819 by Sultan Selim III and Mahmud II. The rococo decorations on the façade and inside the Imperial Council date from this period.
Topkapı Palace
The Imperial Gate is the main entrance into the First Courtyard. The sultan would enter the palace through the Imperial Gate ( or "Saltanat Kapısı") located to the south of the palace. This massive gate, originally dating from 1478, is now covered in 19th-century marble. Its central arch leads to a high-domed passage; gilded Ottoman calligraphy adorns the structure at the top, with verses from the Qur'an and tughras of the sultans. The tughras of Mehmed II and Abdül Aziz I, who renovated the gate, have been identified.
Landmarks of Saint Petersburg
St Michael's (or Engineers') Castle, a Neoclassical palace, was constructed for Emperor Paul in 1797–1801 to replace the earlier Summer Palace. The Tauride Palace of Prince Potemkin (1783–1789), situated near the Smolny Institute, used to be a seat of the first Russian parliament, and now the Assembly of Independent States. Just two blocks from the Hermitage buildings is the Marble Palace, commissioned by Count Orlov and built in 1768–1785 from 44 various sorts of marble to a Neoclassical design by Antonio Rinaldi, it is now part of the State Russian Museum. The Michael Palace (1819–1825), famed for its opulent interiors and named after its first lodger, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, now houses the main collections of the Russian Museum. Also designed in the Neoclassical style is the Yusupov's Moyka palace (built in the 1790s), where Rasputin was killed by Prince Yusupov. Other palaces are the Razumovsky palace (1762–1766); the Shuvalov palace (1830–1838); and the Yelagin Palace (1818–1822), a sumptuous summer dacha of the imperial family, situated on the Yelagin Island. The last Royal residences were built for Nicholas I's children: the Mariinsky Palace (1839–1844), located just opposite St Isaac's Cathedral, is now housing the St. Petersburg City Legislature and Offices of Representatives, the Nicholas Palace (1853–61), and the New Mikhaylovsky Palace (1857-1861). All major palaces are now housing numerous state and private museums and various branches of the government.
Tyzenhaus Palace
The house was most probably constructed by a Venetian architect Giuseppe de Sacco. After Tyzenhaus went bankrupt and was dismissed in 1777, the palace fell into disuse. After Tyzenhaus' death in 1785, it was sold to General Fitinhof's widow. She bought the palace in 1789 and she ordered its reconstruction and refurbishment the following year. The work was most probably carried out by German-born architect and professor at the Jesuit Academy of Vilna Martin Knakfuss. The new simplistic façades were added and a so-called Silver hall was built. After the reconstruction, the palace had 30 halls and 16 smaller rooms; and was one of the biggest aristocratic residences in Lithuania. In 1807, yet another refurbishment was carried out by Mikołaj Szulc, after which the interior was modernised and a new staircase was added to the palace.
Topkapı Palace
The palace has been deemed lax on security and preservation by some experts, who point out that the palace has no climate-controlled rooms or storage and is a "security nightmare".
National Palace (Ethiopia)
The National Palace is a palace in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is also known as the Jubilee Palace. The palace was built in 1955 to mark the Silver Jubilee of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie. After a coup attempt in the Guenete Leul Palace in 1960, the Emperor made the Jubilee Palace his main residence. However, the seat of government remained at the Imperial Palace. The palace was expanded and doubled in size between 1966 and 1967.
Palais Toskana
It was constructed in 1867 for the Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria. The architect is unknown; the facade may have been designed by Carl Tietz. The palace was up to four stories high, and was built in neo-classic style with elaborate figural decoration in its middle part. In the back part there was a large garden which extended all the way to that of the Palais Rothschild. The palace was slightly damaged during World War II. The descendants of the archduke could not afford the repair costs and sold the estate. The palace then was torn down. For decades the palace location was used as a parking lot by employees of the ORF public broadcasting company. Recently a nondescript modern building has been erected there.
Topkapı Palace
The kitchens are located on an internal street stretching between the Second Courtyard and the Marmara Sea. The entrance to this section is through the three doors in the portico of the Second Courtyard: the Imperial commissariat (lower kitchen) door, imperial kitchen door and the confectionery kitchen door.The palace kitchens consist of 10 domed buildings: Imperial kitchen, (palace school), "Harem" (women’s quarters), "Birûn" (outer service section of the palace), kitchens, beverages kitchen, confectionery kitchen, creamery, storerooms and rooms for the cooks. They were the largest kitchens in the Ottoman Empire. Food was prepared for about 4,000 people and the kitchen staff consisted of more than 800 people. The kitchens included dormitories, baths and a mosque for the employees, most of which disappeared over time.
Topkapı Palace
Among the exhibits are two enormous solid gold candleholders, each weighing 48 kg and mounted with 6,666 cut diamonds, a present of Sultan Abdülmecid I to the Kaaba in the holy city of Mecca. They were brought back to Istanbul shortly before the Ottoman Empire lost control over Mecca. The gold ceremonial Bayram throne, mounted with tourmalines, was made in 1585 by order of the vizier Ibrahim Pasha and presented to Sultan Murad III. This throne would be set up in front of the Gate of Felicity on special audiences.
Topkapı Palace
Following the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, Topkapı was transformed into a museum by a government decree dated April 3, 1924. The Topkapı Palace Museum is administered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public today, including the Ottoman imperial harem and the treasury, called "hazine" where the Spoonmaker's Diamond and Topkapi Dagger are on display. The museum collection also includes Ottoman clothing, weapons, armor, miniatures, religious relics, and illuminated manuscripts like the Topkapi manuscript. The complex is guarded by officials of the ministry as well as armed guards of the Turkish military. Topkapı Palace is part the Historic Areas of Istanbul, a group of sites in Istanbul that were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Topkapı Palace
The Twin Kiosk / Apartments of the Crown Prince ("Çifte Kasırlar / Veliahd Dairesi") consists of two privy chambers built in the 17th century, at different times. The building is connected to the palace and consists of only one storey built on an elevated platform to give a better view from inside and shield views from the outside.
Tophane Fountain
It was designed by the court architect Kayserili Mehmed Ağa in the rococo architectural style of Ottoman Tulip Period (1703–1757). It is adorned with ornamentation showing a transition from classical to rococo style. Its design shows similarities with the Fountain of Ahmed III at Topkapı Palace (1729) and the Fountain of Ahmed III in Üsküdar (1729).
Phra Pathommachedi
In 1831 under the reign of king Rama III, his son, prince Mongkut, as a monk, discovered the ruin of Phra Pathommachedi and visited several times. He requested royal approval to restore the stupa, but Rama III declined as there was no reason to restore abandoned stupa. In 1832 Sunthorn Phu, a famous Thai poet, accompanied prince Chutamani visit Phra Pathommachedi. After his coronation, Mongkut rebuilt the stupa with Sri Lanka style covered the old stupa as well as the new temple. The new temple has four viharas that used for Buddhist ceremonies as well as many storages building to keep artifacts that found in the nearby area. Mongkut also built a palace named Pathom Nakorn Palace near Phra Pathommachedi. Damrong Rajanubhab mentioned the reason for building this palace in the book “Tamnaan Wang Gao” (or Tales of the Old Palaces) that during the renovation of Phra Pathommachedi, it was inconvenient to come and go from Bangkok to Nakhon Pathom within a day, thus staying overnight was obligatory. Under the royal command of Mongkut, the palace was built near the stupa. The canals of Mahasawas and Chedi Bucha were also dug to facilitate commuting by boat between Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom. After 17 years of construction, the stupa and temple were finished in 1870 in the reign of Chulalongkorn. Chulalongkorn added belfries and imported golden brown colour tiles from China to cover the whole stupa. The population of nearby Nakhon Chai Si District was ordered to move to the newly created city around Phra Pathommachedi.
Topkapı Palace
The main street leading to the palace is the Byzantine processional Mese avenue, known today as "Divan Yolu" (Council Street). This street was used for imperial processions during the Byzantine and Ottoman era. It leads directly to the Hagia Sophia and turns northwest towards the palace square to the Fountain of Ahmed III.
Taj Mahal (palace)
The Taj Mahal at Bhopal was built as the Begum's residence, at a cost of 3,000,000. Its construction spanned over a period of 13 years, from 1871 to 1884. It was one of the largest palaces of the world built at that time.
Topkapı Palace
The Arcade of the Chamber of the Holy Mantle was added in the reign of Murad III, but was altered when the Circumcision Room was added. This arcade may have been built on the site of the Temple of Poseidon that was transformed before the 10th century into the Church of St. Menas.
Topkapı Palace
The Apartments of the Queen Mother ("Valide Sultan Dairesi"), together with the apartments of the sultan, form the largest and most important section in the harem. It was constructed after the Queen Mother moved into the Topkapı Palace in the late 16th century from the Old Palace ("Eski Saray"), but had to be rebuilt after the fire of 1665 between 1666-1668. Some rooms, such as the small music room, have been added to this section in the 18th century.
Only two of these rooms are open to the public: the dining room with, in the upper gallery, the reception room and her bedroom with, behind a lattice work, a small room for prayer. On the lower stories of the apartments are the quarters of the concubines, while the upper story rooms are those of the Queen Mother and her ladies-in-waiting ("kalfas"). The apartments of the Queen Mother are connected by a passage, leading into the Queen Mother's bathroom, to the quarters of the sultan.
Topkapı Palace
The next rooms are the Baths of the Sultan and the Queen Mother ("Hünkâr ve Vâlide Hamamları"). This double bath dates from the late 16th century and consists of multiple rooms. It was redecorated in the rococo style in the middle of the 18th century. Both baths present the same design, consisting of a caldarium, a tepidarium and a frigidarium. Each room either has a dome, or the ceilings are at some point glassed in a honeycomb structure to let the natural sunlight in. The floor is clad in white and grey marble. The marble tub with an ornamental fountain in the caldarium and the gilded iron grill are characteristic features. The golden lattice work was to protect the bathing sultan or his mother from murder attempts. The sultan's bath was decorated by Sinan with high-quality İznik polychrome tiles. But much of the tile decoration of the harem, from structures damaged by the fire of 1574, was recycled by Sultan Ahmed I for decoration in his new Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul. The walls are now either clad in marble or white-washed.
Vladimir Palace
The Vladimir Palace (, Vladimirsky dvorets) was the last imperial palace to be constructed in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was designed by a team of architects (Vasily Kenel, Aleksandr Rezanov, Andrei Huhn, Ieronim Kitner, Vladimir Shreter) for Alexander II's son, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia. Construction work lasted from 1867 to 1872.
Topkapı Palace
The Privy Chamber houses the Chamber of the Sacred Relics ("Kutsal Emanetler Dairesi"), which includes the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle. The chamber was constructed by Sinan under the reign of Sultan Murad III. It used to house offices of the Sultan.
Topkapı Palace
The palace complex is located on the Seraglio Point ("Sarayburnu"), a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn, where the Bosphorus Strait meets the Marmara Sea. The terrain is hilly and the palace itself is located at one of the highest points close to the sea. During Greek and Byzantine times, the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Byzantion stood here.
Topkapı Palace
Eembossed inscriptions at the main visitors' door, dating from 1856, contain laudatory words for Sultan Abdülmecid I.The main door is surmounted by an embossed "besmele", the common Muslim benediction, meaning "In the Name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful", dating from 1723. This inscription was added during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III. The tile panels on either side of the door were placed during later repair work.
Palais Kaunitz-Wittgenstein
In 1695, Leopold Philip Montecuccoli purchased an undeveloped plot of land in Laxenburg and began the construction of a house. The precise whereabouts of this construction remain obscure. After his death in 1698, his widow sold the estate to Dominik Andreas I. von Kaunitz, who commissioned the palace, which was built in the years 1698-1703. Kaunitz additionally purchased neighbouring plots of land and connected them with his estate to enlarge the palace and the gardens. Domenico Martinelli, who also planned Slavkov Castle for Kaunitz, is the likely architect of the palace. His participation, however, has not been proven. The construction took place under the auspices of Andrea Simone Carove, while Pietro Bombelli served as a stonemason.
Topkapı Palace
Surrounded by high walls, the First Courtyard ("I. Avlu" or "Alay Meydanı") functioned as an outer precinct or park and is the largest of all the courtyards of the palace. The steep slopes leading towards the sea had already been terraced under Byzantine rule. Some of the historical structures of the First Courtyard no longer exist. The structures that remain are the former Imperial Mint ("Darphane-i Âmire", constructed in 1727), the church of Hagia Irene and various fountains. The Byzantine church of Hagia Irene was used by the Ottomans as a storehouse and imperial armoury. This courtyard was also known as the Court of the Janissaries or the Parade Court. Court officials and janissaries would line the path dressed in their best garbs. Visitors entering the palace would follow the path towards the Gate of Salutation and the Second Courtyard of the palace.
Topkapı Palace
The gate was probably constructed under Mehmed II in the 15th century. It was redecorated in the rococo style in 1774 under Sultan Mustafa III and during the reign of Mahmud II. The gate is further decorated with Qur'anic verses above the entrance and "tuğra"s. The ceiling is partly painted and gold-leafed, with a golden ball hanging from the middle. The sides with baroque decorative elements and miniature paintings of landscapes.
Osip Startsev
As a young man, Ossip took part in the rebuilding campaigns in the Moscow Kremlin and redesigned several "prikazy" offices. It was Startsev who gave the Palace of Facets its familiar wide windows and built the 11-domed roof and cornice over the Terem Palace churches. His major buildings include the civic buildings in Moscow (notably the Krutitsy "Teremok" and the Simonov Monastery refectory) and the archaic-looking Baroque cathedrals in Kiev (the "katholikons" of St. Nicholas and Epiphany Monasteries). In the early 18th century Peter the Great sent him to design the fortress towns of Azov and Taganrog. He was also active in the reconstruction of Smolensk.
Royal Palace of Bucharest
Between 1812 and 1815, the Golescu Mansion was built at the place of the present Royal Palace. It belonged to stolnic Dinicu Golescu, a high-ranking aristocrat (boyar). The house was built in Neoclassical style and had 25 rooms, a quite large house for the Bucharest of that era. In 1837, the Golescu Mansion became the official residence of Prince ("Hospodar") of Wallachia, Alexandru II Ghica. From 1859 to 1866, the Prince (styled "Domnitor" after 1862) of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, used the Golescu Mansion as his official residence.
Topkapı Palace
The square Tower of the Head Tutor ("Başlala Kulesi"), also known as the Chamber of the Chief Physician and court drugstore ("Hekimbaşı Odası ve ilk eczane"), dates from the 15th century, and is the oldest building in the Fourth Courtyard. It was built as a watch tower, probably during the time of Mehmed II. It has few windows, and its walls are almost two metres thick. The physician had his private chamber at the top, while below was a store for drugs and medicine.
Topkapı Palace
In 1640 Sultan Ibrahim I added the Circumcision Room ("Sünnet Odası"), a summer kiosk ("Yazlik Oda") dedicated to the circumcision of young princes, which is a religious tradition in Islam for cleanliness and purity. Its interior and exterior are decorated with a mixed collection of rare recycled tiles such as the blue tiles with flower motifs at the exterior. The most important of these are the blue and white tile panels influenced by far-eastern ceramics on the chamber facade, dated 1529. These once embellished ceremonial buildings of Sultan Suleiman I, such as the building of the Council Hall and the Inner Treasury (both in the Second Courtyard) and the Throne Room (in the Third Courtyard). They were moved here out of nostalgia and reverence for the golden age of his reign. These tiles then served as prototypes for the decoration of the Yerevan and Baghdad kiosks. The room itself is symmetrically proportioned and relatively spacious for the palace, with windows, each with a small fountain. The windows above contain some stained-glass panels. On the right side of the entrance stands a fireplace with a gilded hood. Sultan Ibrahim also built the arcaded roof around the Chamber of the Holy Mantle and the upper terrace between this room and the Baghdad kiosk.
Staff of Moses
According to an identifying document at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Moses's staff would supposedly be on display today at the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, Turkey. The Topkapi Palace holds other reputedly holy relics, most notably those attributed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. (Such as his bow, his sword, his footprint, and even a tooth.) Topkapı Palace was officially designated a museum in 1924, and the holy relics were placed on public view on 31 August 1962. It is said that Sultan Selim I (1512–1520) brought the holy relics to Topkapi Palace after conquering Egypt in 1517.
Cantemir Palace in Istanbul
The Palace of Dimitrie Cantemir (Romanian: "Palatul lui Dimitrie Cantemir"; Turkish: "Dimitri Kantemir Saray") was a palace owned by the Prince of Moldavia Dimitrie Cantemir in Istanbul, located on the grounds of the present-day Ortaköy Mosque.
Baltadji
Since the Topkapı Palace was the principal imperial residence, the men of its "baltadji" company held special status: while the men of the other companies were enrolled, after a period of service, in the Janissary infantry regiments, the men of the Topkapı Palace had the privilege of being enrolled in the "sipahi" and "silahdar" cavalry regiments. The Topkapı "baltadjis" were commanded by a "kahya" or "kethüda", who was under the authority of the Sultan's principal page, the Silahdar Agha. The company was also responsible for supplying firewood to the Imperial Harem. In order to avoid inadvertently seeing the harem's ladies, the "baltacıs" were outfitted with special blinkers of cloth or lace and jackets with very high collars, whence they were commonly known as the "blinkered axemen" ("zülüflü baltacılar"). In addition, twelve subalterns ("kalfas") of the Topkapı Palace company, chosen for their literacy, fulfilled ceremonial duties: they brought the Sultan's throne during his enthronement ceremony and on other festivals, they guarded the sacred standard of the Prophet on campaign while reciting verses from the "Quran", guarding the belongings of the harem ladies when the court moved out of the Topkapı during the summer, and, after the 17th century, with presenting the preachers at the Sultan Ahmed Mosque with sharbat, rosewater and incense on the Prophet's Birthday. Further "baltadjis" of the Topkapı company were also attached to the chief palace officers, while two "kalfas" of the company served as the head cook and deputy head cook of the imperial kitchen.
Palais Epstein
Palais Epstein is a in Vienna, Austria. It was built for the industrialist and banker Gustav Ritter von Epstein. The architect was Theophil Freiherr von Hansen, who also designed the adjacent Austrian Parliament Building. Unlike traditional Baroque noble palaces in Vienna, Palais Epstein was built in the late 19th century and is therefore considered a . It is up to five storeys high and built in the neo-renaissance style typical of its time.
Topkapı Palace
The Audience Chamber, also known as the Chamber of Petitions ("Arz Odası"), is right behind the Gate of Felicity. This square building is an Ottoman kiosk, surrounded by a colonnade of 22 columns supporting the large roof with hanging eaves. The building dates from the 15th century. The ceiling of the chamber was painted in ultramarine blue and studded with golden stars. The walls were lined with blue, white and turquoise tiles. The chamber was further decorated with precious carpets and pillows. The chamber was renovated in 1723 by Sultan Ahmed III. It was destroyed in the fire of 1856 and rebuilt during the reign of Abülmecid I.
Kapi Agha
As his title implies, the Kapi Agha was in charge of the Gate of Felicity that separated the Outer Court ("Birûn"), where state affairs were conducted, from the Inner Court ("Enderûn") and the Sultan's private apartments in the Topkapi Palace. The Agha occupied an office to the right of the gate and was responsible for controlling entrance to the Inner Court and for transmitting the Sultan's orders to his officials, rendering him, in the words of the Ottomanist Halil İnalcık "the sole mediator between the Sultan and the world outside the Palace". Among the duties of the Kapi Agha and his white eunuchs was also the running of the Palace School for the pages of the palace, whose graduates then went on to provide the administrative elite of the Empire. The "Mosque of the Aghas" ("Ağalar Camii") in the Topkapi Palace was built for use by the Kapi Agha and his eunuchs.
King Narai's Palace
The King Narai's Palace (; ) in Lopburi was built by King Narai the Great, the king who ruled Ayutthaya from 1656 to 1688. He ordered the palace built in 1666 in the same area as King Ramesuan's Palace. King Narai stayed here for about 8–9 months a year, except during the rainy season. He designated Lopburi as the second capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The palace was a place for relaxation, hunting, administering the country's affairs, and welcoming official visitors. When the king died in 1688, Lopburi and the palace were abandoned.
Topkapı Palace
The main throne room is located inside the audience chamber. According to a contemporary account by envoy Cornelius Duplicius de Schepper in 1533: "The Emperor was seated on a slightly elevated throne completely covered with gold cloth, replete and strewn with numerous precious stones, and there were on all sides many cushions of inestimable value; the walls of the chamber were covered with mosaic works spangled with azure and gold; the exterior of the fireplace of this chamber of solid silver and covered with gold, and at one side of the chamber from a fountain water gushed forth from a wall." The present throne in the form of a baldachin was made on the order of Mehmed III. On the lacquered ceiling of the throne, studded with jewels, are foliage patterns accompanied by the depiction of the fight of a dragon, symbol of power, with "simurg", a mythical bird. On the throne there is a cover made of several pieces of brocade on which emerald and ruby plaques and pearls are sown.
Topkapı Palace
The throne of Sultan Mahmud I is the centerpiece of the fourth room. This gold-plated throne in Indian style, decorated with pearls and emeralds, was a gift of the Persian ruler Nader Shah in the 18th century. Another exhibit shows the forearm and the hand of St. John the Baptist ("Yahya"), set in a golden covering. Several displays show an assembly of flintlock guns, swords, spoons, all decorated with gold and jewels. Of special interest is the gold shrine that used to contain the cloak of Mohammed.
Vorontsov Palace (Alupka)
Vorontsov had been purchasing land from the local Tartars for the site of his new palace at Alupka from 1823; however, the acquisition had been part of a deal which necessitated Vorontsov to build a new mosque. Part of the site had already been planted with fine trees in 1787 for Prince Potemkin by the English landscape gardener William Gould as part of Potemkin's "improvements" to the area in perpetration of a visitation by Catherine the Great following Potemkin's bloodless annexation of the Crimea to Russia. On acquiring ownership of the site, Vorontsov immediately employed the German gardener Karl Kebach to further improve the site and layout the grounds and gardens for the proposed new palace.
In 1824, the architect Philip Elson was commissioned to build a small house for the Vorontsov family to inhabit while the new palace was under construction. Now much altered in form, and known as the Asiatic Pavilion, this building still stands.
Sapieha Palace, Vilnius
The palace, ordered by Polish prince and Great Hetman of Lithuania Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Younger was built in Baroque style in 1691-1697 in the place of former wooden mansion of Lew Sapieha (who died here in 1633). The palace was designed by Giovanni Pietro Perti and decorated with frescos by Michelangelo Palloni. The piano nobile has initially displayed Dutch tiles and mosaics representing blazons, churches, castles, and palaces owned or built by the Sapiehas. Originally, the palace had multi-floor arcades on its sides, which were later built up to gain more space inside the building.