Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sides of the room run low couches covered with carpets. Here sat the
members of the Council; the Grand Vezir in the centre opposite the
door, the other Lords of Council on either side of him in strict order
of rank. Over the Grand Vezir's seat is a grilled window giving into
a small room in the tower; here the sultans, after they had ceased
to attend meetings of the Divan, could overhear the proceedings
unseen. The Records Office has retained its eighteenth-century decor;
here were kept records that might be needed at Council meetings.
From here a door led to the Grand Vezir's office, though the present
entrance is from under the elaborate portico with richly painted
rococo ceiling.
Adjacent to these three rooms is the Inner Treasury, a long room
with eight domes in four pairs supported by three massive piers. Here
and in the vaults below was stored the treasure of the Empire as it
arrived from the provinces, and here it was kept until the quarterly
pay-days for the use of the Council, the payment of officials, Janissaries
and others; at the end of each quarter what remained unspent was
transferred to the Imperial Treasury in the Third Court. In this
room is now displayed the Saray's collection of arms and armour.
As one would expect, this is especially rich in Turkish armour of all
periods, including much that belonged to the sultans themselves, and
outstanding pieces of booty from foreign conquests in Europe, Asia
and Africa.
Retracing our steps under the loggia of the Divan, we come to
a door almost underneath the tower. This is the Carriage Gate, one
of the two main entrances to the Harem; we shall return to it later
after visiting the rest of the palace first. The remainder of the west
side of the Court is occupied by a long portico where are displayed
various Turkish inscriptions assembled from diferent places. A small
door in this wall near the Carriage Gate leads to the quarters of the
Halberdiers-with-Tresses (Zülüflü Baltacılar), so called because two
false curls or tresses hung down from their tall hats in front of their
eyes. This strange headgear was devised so that the Halberdiers, who
on occasion delivered firewood to the Harem, could not get a good
view of the odalisques! The quarters of the Halberdiers-with-Tresses
are as picturesque as their name, but they are not open to the public.
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