To Get Our Enemies Excited: To Repair Edi̇rne Palace

Abstract

This study covers the repairs and restorations in Edirne Palace which had been used by members of the Ottoman Dynasty before and after construction of Topkapı Palace in İstanbul for many years, which were planned to have been carried out at the era of Abdülhamid-i Evvel. What has been tried to be done in this study is to draw attention to repairs and restorations tried to have been accomplished at Edirne Palace at the fifteen year reign of Abdülhamid-i Evvel who lived a life of cage about fortyfour years and to reveal the view and thought of Sultan thereof on reparation of the Palace. The fact that the era on which this study focused had contained a process in which the state was economically distressed gives rise to ask a question that the reason why at that period the Sultan found it necessary to make such a repair and restoration work at Edirne Palace. In this context, within conjuncture of that period, in the light of sources and archive documents of the period, this question has been tried to be made meaningful. Consequently, this study is in an effort and attempt to reveal that repair and restorations at the Ottoman Palace was not only to meet the demand but also to serve a political purpose.