Guide Istanbul - Your tour guide Mine Karahan

Upon turning to the right from the “Babussaade“,Gate of Felicity, the first building is called “the Buyuk Oda(the Grand Room)”. This building is now used as museum offices. The next room is called “Seferli Kogusu“, the Imperial Wardrobe. The number of the costumes is over 1300, but the most beautiful ones are on display in the exhibits.

The costumes are sorted in chronological order and one should start from the right of the hall. Most of the costumes are in “Kaftan” form, a long robe reaching to the feet level made of silk, satin or embroidered with gold. They are often fured and in a perfect condition. The dominant color of the costumes are red, because red was the symbol for prestige, power and authority. First sultan whose costumes are exhibited is Mehmed II “the Conqueror” of 1460s and the last sultan is Mahmud II of 1860s, which is quite European, even  “Parisienne”.

You can also see the Talismanic Shirts that were used for healing purposes by the Sultans with beautiful calligraphy.

nother interesting type of costumes is the “Shalvars“,the baggy trousers. These are very loose costumes and one may think that the Sultan was  quite a big man. Even if they were not fat or tall, they prefered clothes which would make them tall and big. There are also a prince costume within the collection. The princes, starting from an early age, were treated as the future sultans, therefore got accustomed to wearing fancy clothes and being sultans of the future. The clothes are usually made of silk and embroidered with golden threads.