The Department of Sacred Relics is ready for Ramadan
The relics brought to Istanbul after Yavuz Sultan Selim's Egyptian expedition in 1517 have been carefully preserved and exhibited for centuries.
The Department of Sacred Relics, one of the most visited sections of the Topkapı Palace, affiliated with the Presidency of National Palaces , was specially prepared for Ramadan.
The sacred relics on display in the apartment, which was flooded with visitors during the "sultan of eleven months" Ramadan, were made ready for visitors after the maintenance and cleaning works were completed.
Making a statement to journalists on the subject, the President of National Palaces, Dr. Yasin Yıldız, congratulated the entire Islamic world on Ramadan and said that the Sacred Relics and Mantle rooms, which are the heart of Topkapı Palace, attracted a lot of attention throughout Ramadan.
Yıldız stated that these apartments are visited with interest by local and especially foreign visitors outside of Ramadan, and noted the following:
"The heart of our Sacred Relics Department is of course the cloak of our Prophet. The Sacred Relics Department also houses very valuable and important relics for all of us. There are some items that belonged to our Prophet here. In addition, we preserve some relics that belong to past prophets in particular. Again, some works belonging to our Prophet's companions are here. The Mushaf dedicated to Hz. Osman, which has attracted great interest from the public, is exhibited here. In this context, it is very important for us that these works are presented to visitors."
Yıldız, who pointed out that the maintenance of the sacred relics in the ancient tradition of Topkapı Palace during Ramadan has gained a very important dimension, said, "We know that especially during the period when the Ottoman sultans lived in this palace, the sultans themselves were very interested in the cleaning of the Mantle of Saadet and we also know that this tradition has been carried out by the generations who have been on duty in Topkapı Palace since that day. Today, the National Palaces Administration continues to perform the cleaning, maintenance and Ramadan rituals in the Mantle of Saadet and the Sacred Relics in Topkapı Palace, of which it is the custodian, with the same method."
Yıldız said that the sultans cleaned the silver mesh in the Mantle of Saadet during Ramadan, and that even the dust generated during cleaning was preserved during that period, and that the sultans' funerals were removed from the door of the chamber.
The relics brought to Istanbul after Yavuz Sultan Selim's Egyptian expedition in 1517 have been carefully preserved and exhibited for centuries.
In the Department of Sacred Relics, where belongings belonging to prophets, caliphs and companions are located, there are the cloak of the Prophet Muhammad (Hırka-i Saadet), his beard, footprints, the case where his tooth broken in the Battle of Uhud was kept, his letters and his sword.
The museum also hosts sacred relics reflecting the Age of Bliss, such as the cooking pot of Hazrat Ibrahim, the staff of Hazrat Musa, the sword of Hazrat David, the robe of Hazrat Yusuf, the swords of the caliphs and the companions, the shirt of Hazrat Fatima, the keys of the Kaaba , and the casket of the Black Stone.
The maintenance and cleaning of the Sacred Relics Department is carried out by the National Palaces Object Care and Conservation Team, which is a first in the field of museums in Turkey.
As part of the work, the carpets, tiles, silver lamps, incense burners and candlesticks, wooden window shutters, cabinets and marble areas inside niches of the Has Oda are being meticulously cleaned. The dust of the Hırka-i Saadet and Sancak-ı Şerif cases is being removed with great care.
In these applications, museum-specific vacuum-adjusted, HEPA-filtered devices and horsehair brushes are used. The dust collected using traditional methods is poured into the dust well in front of the apartment.
In 2023, a comprehensive reorganization was carried out in the Department of Sacred Relics, and the number of works exhibited was increased from 60 to 300.
The Mushaf attributed to Hz. Osman was also presented to visitors again after a long break. Within the scope of these works, the "Private Room" where the "Hırka-i Saadet" was kept was opened to visitors for the first time.
TRT Haber
