Topkapi Palace as a Moral and Political Institutional Structure in the Ottoman Palace Organization
Samed Kurban

Abstract
The Topkapı Palace is a building built after the conquest of Istanbul, where the Ottoman Empire was ruled and where the sultans and their families resided until the mid-19th century. The palace, which has been in service for a period of about 400 years in the Ottoman Empire's lifetime of six centuries, functions as a living space of Ottoman administration and politics and ethics with the practices, customs and traditions that took place during this period. Therefore, it is a very important reference for the Ottoman State. It must be said that this position is very different from a state or presidential residence existing in modern states. The rules, which have been strictly respected for centuries and the existence of a system that operates on a regular basis, place Topkapı Palace in a privileged position. It is possible to see this characteristic in the organizational structure of Topkapı Palace. Especially the Enderun and Harem constructions, which are located in the third yard within the palace, have very important functions in the Ottoman State regarding the distinction between public and private spaces. In the study, the place where Topkapı Palace has taken as a moral and political institutional structure in the Ottoman State shall be revealed in terms of the three main gates of the palace and the courts that these gates open to.

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