Exhibition revealing facts about Harem opened at Topkapi Palace Museum

The exhibition entitled House of the Sultan: Topkapi Palace Imperial Harem, organized by the Topkapi Palace Museum Directorate, was inaugurated on Tuesday evening at the museum’s Has Ahirlar (imperial stables) Exhibit Hall with a ceremony attended by Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay, Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz and Topkapi Palace Museum President Ilber Ortayli. The exhibition is made up of around 300 items, including various personal belongings and objects used by the Ottoman sultans, their wives and children, written documents from the palace’s archives and works of art depicting life in the Ottoman court and the harem, such as gravures and miniatures. Delivering the opening speech, Gunay said the palace had proved an exceptional place for the Ottoman headquarters as the center of empire for more than 400 years. For his part, Ortayli said, “We hope that this exhibition will be seen by our people over the next four months and an important [collection] will thus be utilized.” The exhibition will continue until October 15 at the Topkapi Palace Museum.