07 Topkapi Palace - Second Courtyard 1

The Second Courtyard

 

At the far end of the First Courtyard is "Bab-us Selam", the Gate of Salutations, better known as the "Orta Kapi", Middle Gate. This was the entrance to the Inner Palace and the passage was only on foot for authorized people. The gateway is a typical military architecture of the Conqueror Mehmed II's time, twin octagonal towers capped with conical roofs. Above the outer gate is the tugra, the imperial monogram of Suleiman the Magnificient and a calligraphic inscription reading "There is no God but God and Mohammed is his prophet". The chambers on the towers hosted the gatekeepers and one of them was for the visitors and ambassadors. The visitors were first taken to the room, served refreshments and then accepted by the Grand Vezir or Sultan. There was another small room for prisoners awaiting execution.

 

In the Second Courtyard, there are five paths radiating to different chambers of the palace. The second path from the left leads to Divan ,the advisory, judiciary and administrative council of the Sultan. The second path from the right leads to Palace Kitchens, which now serves as Chinese and Japanese Porcelain Collection. The enormously big chimneys give the idea about the population of the palace in the former times. On the opposite of the Porcelain Collection, the 18th-19th C. beautiful European and Ottoman Glass - Silverware Collection could be seen. On the left of Porcelain Collection, there are two different sections of Kitchen Utensils and Ottoman Vases - Porcelain Collection. In the latter, the coffee cups which the Ottoman Sultans are depicted on are worth seeing.

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