First Courtyard

The First Courtyard (I. Avlu or Alay Meydanı) spans Seraglio Point and is surrounded by high walls^[3].

In 1509 a massive earthquake destroyed these walls from the water's edge to the garden gate. They required extensive renovation. This First Courtyard functioned as an outer precinct or park. The steep slopes had already been terraced under Byzantine rule.

This court was also known as the Court of the Janissaries or the Parade Court.

The First Courtyard contains the former Imperial Mint (Darphane-i Âmire, constructed in 1727), the church of Hagia Eirene, the Istanbul Archaeology Museum (constructed during the 19th century) and various fountains, pavilions (for example, the Çinili Pavilion, or Tiled Pavilion) and gardens (including Gülhane Park, the old imperial rose garden).

The Çinili Pavilion is set within the outer walls and dates from 1473. It was built by Mehmed II as a pleasure palace.

The exterior glazed bricks show a Central Asian influence, especially from the Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Samarkand. The square, axial plan represents the four corners of the world and symbolizes, in architectural terms, the universal authority and sovereignty of the Sultan. As there is no Byzantine influence, the building is ascribed to an unknown Persian architect. The stone-framed brick and the polygonal pillars of the façade are typical of Persia. A grilled gate leads to the basement. Two flights of stairs above this gate lead to a roofed colonnaded terrace. This portico was rebuilt in the 18th century. The great door in the middle, surrounded by a tiled green arch, leads to the vestibule and then to a loftily domed court . The three royal apartments are situated behind, with the middle apartment in apsidal form.

These apartments look out over the park to the Bosphorus. The network of ribbed vaulting suggests Gothic revival architecture, but it actually adds weight to the structure instead of sustaining it. The blue-and-white tiles on the wall are arranged in hexagons and triangles in the Bursa manner. Some show delicate patterns of flowers, leaves, clouds or other abstract forms. The white plasterwork is in the Persian manner. On both wings of the domed court are eyvans, vaulted recesses open on one side. The pavilion contains many examples of İznik tiles and Seljuk pottery and now houses the Museum of Islamic Art.

The Fountain of the Executioner is where the executioner washed his hands and sword after a decapitation. It is located on the right side in front of the Gate of Salutation.

Gate of Salutation

The large Gate of Salutation (Arabic: Bâb-üs Selâm), also known as the Middle Gate (Turkish: Orta Kapı), leads into the palace and the Second Courtyard. This crenelated gate has two large octagonal pointed towers. The date of construction of this gate is not clear, since the architecture of the towers is of Byzantine influence rather than Ottoman. An inscription at the door dates this gate to at least 1542 during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II. In a miniature painting from the Hünername from 1584, a low-roofed structure with three windows above the arch between the towers is clearly visible, probably a guards' hall that has since disappeared. Only the sultan was allowed to pass this gate on horseback. The gate is richly decorated on both sides and in the upper part with religious inscriptions and monograms of sultans.