Sultan Selim I (1512-1520) inaugurated a new ceremony at Topkapi Palace after he conquered Egypt in 1517 and brought the holy relics back to Topkapi Palace. From then on, every year on the fifteenth day of the month of Ramazan, the long sleeved mantle belonging to the Prophet Muhammed was removed from its chest and reverently kissed by the sultan, his vezirs and other dignitaries. In preparation for this event the chest containing the holy relics was removed to the Revan Pavilion, while the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle was cleaned thoroughly, its walls washed with rose water, its columns polished, and the air scented with incense made from musk, aloes and other aromatics. Then the chest was carried back to its place by fifteen royal attendants reciting prayers.

When the day of the ceremony arrived high-ranking state officials, clerics, and the commanders of the janissaries and horse guards gathered in front of the Babü's-saade Gate leading from the second into the third Court of Topkapi Palace. When the grand vezir was informed that the seyhülislam had arrived at Haghia Sophia, he joined those waiting at the gate and accompanied them to the noon prayers at Haghia Sophia. Meanwhile the sultan performed his prayers in his own apartments. After prayers, everyone returned to the palace and followed the sultan in procession to the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle. While hafiz recited the Koran, the sultan opened the chest with the gold key which he always carried with him, revealing a gold casket wrapped in seven layers of green silk velvet finely embroidered with silver. Having removed these, he unlocked the casket with another gold key and lifted the two parts of the lid. Inside lay the Holy Mantle, also wrapped in seven rich cloths.

Over the centuries the Ottoman sultans and many other individuals sent precious gifts to the tomb. During the First World War, when the Turkish garrison withdrew from Medina, the holy relics that were in the tomb were sent to Topkapi Palace for safekeeping.

The holy relics which had been taken to Istanbul in the 16th century were kept in various parts of the palace over the centuries, including the Imperial Treasury, the Armourer's Treasury, the Revan Pavilion, the Harem, and from 1808 onwards the Privy Chamber. It was Sultan Mahmud II (1808-1839) who allocated this pavilion, which had been the sultn's privy chamber since the time of Mehmed II (1451-1481), to the holy relics. From then on the Privy Chamber, which contained the throne room and other royal apartments, became known as the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle. The throne room was the main state room in the building, distinguished by a higher dome.

In the Arzhane, where the sultan used to receive official writs, can today be seen the gold case of Hacer-ül-Esved, the letter sent by Muhammed to Mukavkýs, ruler of the Copts, another footprint of the Prophet, his seal, caskets containing soil from his tomb and a fragment (now reduced to dust) of his tooth, and hairs from his beard.

Topkapi Palace became a museum in 1924, and the holy relics were placed on public view on 31 August 1962.


* Hilmi Aydin is Keeper of the Holy Relics at Topkapi Palace.