"The Treasures of the Topkapi Palace and the Magnificent Ottoman Dynasty" Exhibition

The Museum of Kyoto

This event has ended.

Since ancient times, Istanbul has flourished as a center of interaction between Asia and Europe, where different types of politics, economy, and cultures meet. In the late 13th century, the Turkish revolutionaries who originated in the northern part of the Anatolia plateau conquered Istanbul and established the Ottoman Empire. The leader of the Ottoman Empire, the Sultan, was an absolute monarch, who was a patron of Islam, and owned everything on its land. The Ottoman Empire marked the rise of their power against Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Topkapi Palace was used by the Sultan as a private living space as well as a work place. The palace was filled with wonderful ornaments, so as to show off his absolute power. His harem was also filled with beautiful women from all over the world, brought in for him.
This exhibition introduces the politics, military, religion, and culture of the Ottoman Empire through approximately 140 pieces from the collection of Tokpapi Palace Museum and Museum of Turkish & Islamic Art, focusing on the power of the Sultan and the life of the women at the harem.

[Image: "Abdülhamit I" (1744-89), Courtesy of Topkapi Palace Museum]