After the broadcast of the television series “The Magnificent Century,” Russians revived interest in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire. The old palace in Edirne was repeatedly mentioned during the events of the epic. Members of the Sultan family regularly went to this complex to rest. And according to some historical sources, it was in this palace that the great Roksolana-Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, the main character of the series, died. Suleiman Kanuni, by the way, was next to his beloved wife until her last breath. Few people know that the palace complex, which became the last refuge of the Sultan’s couple, was at first a modest hunting lodge near a river called Tunca. But later he "overgrown" gardens, fountains, baths and numerous pavilions. What made the palace in Edirne so famous, the second most important after the Istanbul Topkapi? Let's get it right.
City Edirne
In ancient times, this place was a Thracian settlement of Uskudam. During the late Roman Empire, Emperor Hadrian turned it into a city to which he gave his name. Even then it was a border outpost. Adrianapol was repeatedly attacked by the Visigoth tribes, the Bulgarians, and later attacked by an army of crusaders. In 1364, the city was captured by the Turks under the leadership of Shah Murat I and renamed Edirne. Until Mehmed II conquered Constantinople (and the fall of the capital of Byzantium occurred in 1453), the residence of the Sultan was there. But even later, when the capital moved to Istanbul, and the majestic Topkapi was built, the Edirne Palace was not completely abandoned. The city in the far west of the country, near the borders of Greece and Bulgaria, remained an important strategic point during the Ottoman Empire. The famous architect Sinan built there the largest Selimiye mosque in Turkey (and the second in the world). Edirne is famous for its covered markets: the old Bedestan of fourteen halls, Semiz Ali Pasha with a domed ceiling. The city has preserved the medieval quarter of Calais with beautiful buildings.
History of the palace in Edirne
It is said that Sultan Murat II had a dream in which a gray-bearded old man ordered him to build a residence near the city. Like it or not, but the surroundings of the Tunci River have long been famous for the abundance of game. And so the sultan ordered in the forest, on a plot of almost three square kilometers, to build a hunting lodge. He did not see the results of the work of architects, since he died a year later. His work was continued by descendants who expanded the hunting lodge to the size of a huge summer residence, with numerous fountains, baths and gardens. The grandiose construction was completed already under the Sultan Mehmet Fatiha. This complex is called Saray Jedid and Amire, which translates as “New Palace”. Edirne did not keep the old residence of Murat I, the first Turkish ruler of the city. The new palace was the second most important after Topkapi and was used by the sultans and members of the dynasty until the nineteenth century. But then the Russian troops caused significant damage to the residences. Out of more than a hundred buildings, only ten survived. In 2009, the global reconstruction of the palace began. Although work is still ongoing, visitors are already being allowed into the museum.
Palace in Edirne (Turkey)
Let us now take a virtual tour of the summer residence of the Ottoman sultans. She was a favorite vacation spot for the heroes of the series “The Magnificent Century” of Suleiman Kanuni and Haseki Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, and later their son Selim II. The sultans of Ahmed (First, Second and Third), Mehmed Avji and Mustafa II lived for a long time in the palace. Naturally, the residence had fortifications - walls, towers. The main entrance was through the Imperial Gate (Bab-Khumayun). They were twelve meters high and supported by four columns. Outside the gates, a paved road led past the guards to the large courtyard, Alai Maidani. Various official ceremonies took place on this parade ground. Nearby, in the walls surrounding the Edirne Palace, there was another gate - Happiness, or the White Eunuchs (Bab-us-Saadet). The residential complex stood apart. The harem was located behind the chambers of the Sultan. In addition to hunting grounds, the residence had a park with a separate pavilion.
Jihannum
This pavilion was the main building of the palace complex. The building had seven floors, and on the top tier was a swimming pool. The pavilion was built in 1452. It housed the personal chambers of the Sultan. There were probably other rooms in the seven-story palace - for guards, servants, guest rooms for the highest dignitaries of the empire. The Jihannum pavilion was completely destroyed during the Russo-Turkish war. Now it is being restored. This year, archaeologists extracted fragments of beautifully decorated dishes, household utensils, the remains of water supply and sewage. Outside this building, presumably at the main entrance, are two large stones. The one on the right was intended to leave petitions and petitions on it. The left stone served as a chopping block for the executed.
Justice Pavilion
Edirne Palace, whose photos are shown (so far) only ruins, had other pavilions. The second most important is the "House of Justice." Sultan Suleiman Kanuni did not let go of the reins of his empire, even on vacation. Therefore, he ordered the architect Sinan to build in the residence a separate three-story pavilion for meetings of the Supreme Court and the Sofa. Officials gathered in the lower tier, Sherbet Khan, where they were offered refreshments. The second floor was reserved for the office and library. The meetings were held on the upper tier, in the marble hall, in the middle of which a fountain beat. As in Topkapi, the throne of the Sultan stood in the Divan’s meeting room, and behind it was a secret room.
Other buildings
Edirne Palace had a vast territory - more than three square kilometers. Over the centuries, various sultans have equipped it. Mehmed Fatih erected a Sand Pavilion near Jihannum. The main hammam adjoined to this structure. The pavilion with baths has survived to the present day. Also in the palace complex was a hospital with an infirmary in case of illness of the servants. Part of the garden was set aside for the cultivation of medicinal plants. In the forest zone was located the Nightingale Pavilion, which performed the original function of the entire palace - served as a hunting lodge. The complex also included a separate building with a dome vault. It kept an arsenal and treasury. At the palace, of course, there was a mosque.