The Tophâne Imperial Pavilion (Kasr-ı Hümâyun)

Abstract

It is known that the pavilions/mansions had been used by the Sultans during their visits to Tophâne-i Amire to watch the cannon casting ceremonies since early times. During Sultan Abdulmejid’s reign, this pavilion, used for the Sultans to rest, was rebuilt by British architect William James Smith as the first example of pavilions/ mansions built in western architecture. Known as the Bijou of Constantinople in British architectural history because it resembles a small jewel box, Tophâne Pavilion is an ornate imperial-style building with Neo-Baroque features. Located in the Tophâne Barracks, the Pavilion’s construction, began in 1846 under the supervision and control of the Tophâne Marshal, Fethi Pasha, and completed in 1852.

Military motifs such as weapons and swords on the pavilion’s exterior decorations are an important reflection of the pavilion’s connection with the Tophâne-i Âmire. The pavilion, which was frequently used during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid, was also preferred as a venue where foreign guests were hosted and international conferences were held during the following sultans’ reign. The study’s aim is to try to analyze the construction-furnishing process of Tophâne Pavilion, which has survived to the present day, and the processes reflected in the construction, repair and renewal records in the construction-exploration books, which have not been identified until now and are used for the first time in this study, in a chronological flow. Additionally, the organizations and historical events that Tophâne Pavilion witnessed until the Ottoman Empire’s last years will be discussed within history-space-human memory framework in this study