Imperial Treasury

This group of buildings, which had been used to conceal palace treasuries in the previous times, was used as the Imperial Treasury Building from the 17th century during the Ottoman era. In the 19th century this treasury was open for the visits of the high positioned European guests and the works of art were exhibited with pride. Systematically exhibited works after the palace converted into a museum in 1924,

reveal the richness of the Ottoman Empire. A great majority of the valuable works displayed in the Imperial Treasuiy Department are the works of palace jewelry masters. For instance, it is known that, in the 15th century, 70 jewelry masters worked in the palace. Nowadays, Turkish jewelry art, under the leadership of the Armenian masters living in Istanbul, has the appreciation of the world. Moreover, there are many valuable pieces in today's collection, which were transferred to the treasury as presents.

There is a throne at the foreground in every room of the treasury, which is composed of four adjacent rooms and among them, a balcony having an exquisite

view. The throne in the first room was made in the 17th century belongs to Murat IV and it was made of ebony inlayed with ivory. Also, golden candlesticks and narghiles (water pipes), gold dinner sets, Indian music box having an elephant ornament, guns decorated with jewels, a walking stick decorated with valuable gems. which is the gift of German Emperor Wilhelm II, are in this sitting room.

The throne exhibited in the second room is a covered throne of the 17th century which belongs to the Sultan Ahmet I. Also, the famous Topkapi Dagger which was sent to the Persian Sultan Nadir by Ottoman Sultan Mahmud I is displayed in this room, since when the gift was on the way, they had got a news that the sultan was dead and it was returned to the palace The most interesting work of the third room is the Spoon Makers Diamond. This precious gem, whose name is believed to come from a spoon maker who found the diamond, is 86 carats and has 49 brilliants surrounding it. The gold candlesticks made for the tomb of Prophet. Muhammad and each of which were decorated with 6666 diamonds, are worth to be seen. The throne which Egypt governor Ibrahim Pasha sent to Murat III in the 16th century is exhibited in this room is gold-plated, made of walnut tree. In the fourth room, which is reached by passing through the balcony facing the Sea of Marmara, exhibits a gold-plated throne decorated with 25.000 pearls, which was sent to the Sultan Mahmud I by Nadir Shah. Bones of St. John the Baptist, prayer beads, jewelry decorated snuff-boxes, materials of writing, swords, works of ivory and tiled works are some of the most valuable works of this part.

After the Imperial Treasury Department, we see the management units of the museum along the northern wall of the third courtyard, two narrow roads going down towards the fourth courtyard and two different exhibition rooms, which are not as large as the others. One of these is the COLLECTION OF CALLIGRAPHY AND PAINTING, where the hand-written books. copies of renowned portraits of Ottoman Sultans, which are generally exhibited in the European museums, and Turkish-Islamic miniature paintings are displayed. Following exhibition is the CLOCK COLLECTION of the palace. The most famous clock of the periods between 16th -20th century is the jeweled clock

presented to Abdulmecit II by the Russian Czar Nikolas. Beside the clock collection is the exhibition of the HOLY RELICS which is one of the three biggest and valuable collections of the palace.

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