The Privy Chamber and its organisation

The aghas within the Organisation of Privy Chamber that had been established by Fatih lawbook, officiated for the private services of padishah. The Privy Chambered aghas were in charge of guarding the life of padishah along with their symbolic services for the establishment of Sultanate. Their numbers had increased from 32 to 40 in centuries. Unlike other classes, a kind of breach system had been implemented in Enderun and hence, a new agha had not been employed unless one had graduated. Thus, their numbers had remained stable. The Privy Chamber, as an official space used by the establishment of Sultanate, is a two-storied building which lodges the summer and winter chambers. Mermer Sofa in where the summer kiosks and pool are in, had been used as the balcony of the building since the Fatih period. The privileged location of the Privy Chamber between Enderun and Harem, had been crowned as a sacred space, after Yavuz Sultan Selim had brought the sacred relics to Istanbul. The most privileged aghas of Enderun, lived in private chambers and wards next to this privileged and private space of padishah and had officiated for padishah and sacred relics. Once they had been found eligible for the statesmanship, their graduations from the palace had been celebrated by a royal ceremony with the attendance of padishah and high state officials. Especially the archives of the Topkapı Palace, along with other archives, chronciles, travel books, miniatures, paintings and treasury objects have been used as sources of information in this thesis. In this study, answers of the questions of the architectural sections, uses and establishment of the Privy Chamber were sought.