Sacred Relics

The Sacred Relics consist of Islamic religious pieces sent to the Ottoman Sultans at various times dating from the 16th century to the late 19th century.

With the conquest of the Arabic world under Sultan Selim I (1517), the Caliphate passed from the vanquished Abbasids to the Ottoman sultans. The Prophet Muhammad’s mantle, which was kept by the last Abbasid Caliph Mutawakkil III, was given to Selim I.

The various relics of the prophet, his followers and other items purportedly associated with the prophet were brought to Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, where they remain up to this day.

They are housed in the former private chambers of the sultan, called the Privy Chamber, which are located in the Third Courtyard of the palace.

* The Destimal Chamber is the room in which Prophet Abraham’s Pot, Prophet Joseph’s Turban, Prophet Moses’s Staff, Prophet David’s Sword, scrolls belonging to Prophet John and Prophet Muhammad’s footprint are on display.

* The "Şadırvanlı Sofa" is the room where the keys to the Kaaba, the gutters of the Kaaba, the casing of the Black Stone ("Hacerü’l-Esved"), the Door of Repentance, and the swords of the prophet’s companions are on display.

* The Audience Chamber, also known as the House of Petitions ("Arzhane") houses a piece from the tooth of the Prophet Muhammad ("Dendan-ı Saadet"), Hair from the Beard of the Prophet ("Saka-ı Şerif"), the Seal of the Prophet Muhammad ("Mühr-ı Saadet"), an autographed Letter of the Prophet Muhammad ("Name-ı Saadet") and his swords and bow in their exclusive reliquary made by Ottoman goldsmiths. These are known as the Sacred Trusts ("mukkades emanetler"). The Holy Koran is being read out around the clock by a mufti.

* The Chamber of the Blessed Mantle houses the latticed silver canopy under which the Blessed Mantle and the Holy Banner of the Prophet are kept in their golden chests.

Blessed Mantle

The Blessed Mantle, also known as the Holy Mantle, according to tradition was given by the prophet Muhammad to the poet Kâab bin Züheyr. The poets poem "Kasida-ı Burda" praising the prophet decorate the Room of the Blessed Mantle [Davis, pg. 146] . Although many legends were spun about the appearance of the mantle, it is almost two yards long and made of black wool lined with a cream-coloured fabric. [Davis, pg. 149] .

The mantle used to be visited by the sultan and his family and court with a traditional ceremony once a year on the fifteenth day of Ramadan. [Davis, pg. 149] . The kissing of the mantle was not done directly, but a piece of muslin was placed over it. This decorated kerchief was called the Noble Kerchief ("destimal-ı şerif") and was provided for each person by the Agha of the Muslin ("Tülbent Ağası").The mantle was kept in a golden box, of which only the sultan had the keys. The box was opened while he intoned the "besmele". The mantle was actually wrapped in a number of square pieces of cloth called "bohças". In it was another small golden box in which forty "bohças" were wrapped around the mantle itself. The number forty was considered especially auspicious.

The Agha of the Muslin placed the first kerchief on the mantle and the sultan kissed it, followed by the imperial princes, viziers, officials, male attendants and eunuchs. This was done while Koranic chants filled the chamber.Next to kiss the kerchiefs were the women, who were lead by the Queen Mother, followed by the chief consorts, concubines and daughters of the sultan, as well as the wives of all officials present and female attendants. Princess Imperial Ayşe Osmanoğlu, daughter of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, gave a rare eyewitness account in her book. “Babam Abdülhamit” (My Father, Abdülhamit). Istanbul, 1960. Intimate glimpse of Abdülhamit II and of her own life by his daughter, Ayşe Sultan.:Quote|We began to prepare three days before the visit to the Blessed Mantle, on the fifteenth day of Ramazan. We got up early that day, wore our most beautiful long-skirted ceremonial dresses, put on our jewels, and went to Topkapı. My grandmother got into a carriage of the sultanate; the drivers wore the embroidered uniforms of the royal stable, like the drivers of the padishah. Halim Efendi, who was the officer in charge of harem outings, was in front with the guards. The harem "ağas", wearing embroidered uniforms, followed the carriage of my grandmother, which was in front. Thus we left Yıldız and went to Topkapı. There we were met by old female attendants who came from Dolmabahçe, and we went to the room assigned to each of us in Topkapı. All those outside the palace to whom the invitation had previously gone, the married "sultans" [the ruler’s daughters were called "sultan"] and the wives of the ministers also came. We invited the people we knew personally.
In the room called the Room of the Armchair my grandmother sat under a canopy in her royal costume, and all of us went and kissed her hand. All together we waited for the opening of the Pavilion of the Blessed Mantle. Sultan Abülmecit’s wives [he was a deceased sultan] , Serfiraz and Şayeste, were there too and sat beside my grandmother. Usually the "valide paşa" [the mother of the khedive of Egypt] was at the ceremony.
The "baş musahip" [the head harem eunuch in attendance on the sultan] came to the harem when the Blessed Mantle was opened and, with an Oriental salute, gave the news to my grandmother, the "valide sultan". The "valide sultan" rose, and after her walked the wives of Abdülmecit and then the "sultans" and the "kadın efendis", all in order of precedence, and we all went to the Pavilion of the Blessed Mantle. Everyone wore a piece of white muslin on her head. We sensed odours, because incense was burning everywhere, and from behind a curtain came the Noble Koran read in an extremely beautiful voice by the muezzin. The hearts of all of us filled with deep and humble reverence, with slow steps, our skirts sweeping the ground, we walked in ranks until we came in front of the padishah who stood at the foot of the throne. [This is the only mention of a throne in connection with the visit to the Blessed Mantle.] With an Oriental salute from the ground . . . we took the noble kerchief which was given into our hands, kissed it, put it over our heads, withdrew backwards, and went and again stood in our ranks according to precedence. . . .
The young princes, the sons of the padishah, stood in rank in uniform at the foot of the throne.
After us the "valide paşa" and the wives of the grand vizier, the other ministers and the "şeyhülislâm" entered. The lady treasurer and the other palace servants also participated in the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony the "baş musahip" appeared, gave an Oriental salute from the ground, and we left in ranks as we had entered, the "valide sultan" in front.
Our carriages drew up to the Harem Gate [Carriage Gate] of Topkapi in order of precedence, and we mounted them and returned to Yıldız Palace in the same formation as we had left it. These carriages, which proceeded slowly because of the horses, usually brought us to the palace at the time of the "iftar" cannon [the cannon that announced the end of the day’s fast during Ramazan] . [Davis, pg. 150-151]

A button of the mantle was dipped into rose water. Drops of the rose water were poured into pitchers which were given to important people. This water was called the Water of the Blessed Mantle ("Hırka-ı Saadet Suyu") and was supposed to have miracle qualities. [Davis, pg. 151] After the ceremony, the sultan had the mantle packed back into its forty "bohças", the small golden box, the other "bohças" and then into the large golden box which itself was placed under the silver latticed canopy until next year.

Holy Banner

The second most important relic was the Holy Banner, also known as the Sacred Standard of the Prophet ("Sancağ-ı Şerif", literally the "Noble Banner"). It is said to the banner of the Prophet Muhammad himself or at least originates from his time. The origins of how the Ottomans acquired it remain subject to dispute. The banner was first used in a battle against the Austrian Habsburgs in 1593 and again for a war in Hungary in 1594. [Necipoğlu, pg. 151] . The banner came into Topkapı by 1595. [Davis, pg. 152] After Mehmed III took the banner and won the Siege of Eger in 1596, the banner became a victory symbol for the Ottoman forces. [Necipoğlu, pg. 151] [Davis, 152-153]

The banner was sometimes carried to battles to encourage the troops and ensure victory. It would be taken out from its box by the sultan and affixed to a staff. He would carry it from the Chamber of the Holy Relics to the Throne Room while officials called out “Allah Akbar!” (God is great). After this, the banner was carried from the Throne Room to the Gate of Felicity and placed there. As sultans went less to battle and left it to their grand viziers, the grand vizier would receive the banner from the sultan in a ceremony in the Throne Room. While grand vizier and the "şeyhülislâm" stood in attendance, the sultan would kiss the Holy Banner and entrust it to his grand vizier with the words: “I entrust the Sacred Standard to you and you to God. May He be your helper!” [Davis, pg. 153] . After a battle, the banner would be returned the same way with the sultan carrying it back to the chamber and putting it into its box, while Koranic chants were read aloud and incense burned.The banner was also taken out when mutinies by Janissaries erupted in 1651 and the last time in 1826, to help qualm the situation. [Davis, pg. 154]

References

Literature

*cite book | title=The Sacred Trusts| last= Hilmi| first= Aydın| date= 2004| pages= 352 pages| publisher=The Light, Inc.| location=Somerset, New Jersey| id=ISBN 1932099727
*cite book | title=Architecture, ceremonial, and power: The Topkapi Palace in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries| last=Necipoğlu| first=Gülru| date=1991| pages= 336 pages| publisher=The MIT Press| location=Cambridge, Massachusetts| id=ISBN 0-262-14050-0
* Fanny Davis. "Palace of Topkapi in Istanbul". 1970. ASIN B000NP64Z2

External links

* [http://www.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/~history/religious.html Bilkent University | Images of the Sacred Trusts]
* [http://www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr/eng/enderunavlusu.html Topkapı Palace | III. Courtyard]
* [http://www.thesacredtrusts.com/ The Sacred Trust - Pavilion Of The Sacred Relics] book by Hilmi Aydin
* [http://www.thesacredtrusts.co.uk/ The Sacred Trust - Pavilion Of The Sacred Relics] book by Hilmi Aydin (UK site)