Imperial Kitchens of the Topkapi Palace

These kitchens, with stone walls and brick ceilings, which are divided into ten sections, were built in the 15th century and expanded in the 16th. Although there had been restorations later, the version you see today took most of its shape right after the repairs following the fire in 1574. The kitchens complex had been designed and built by the legendary architect of the Ottomans, Sinan the Great.

The first room, deep in the end towards the left, is called Helvahane. It was spared for cooking sweets such as halva, baklava, and candies. There you can see cooking materials, nice pieces of porcelain, and glass pitchers and jugs. The two largest galleries in the middle of the kitchens contain precious collections of dinnerware for serving meals. From silverware to porcelain, these are known to be absolutely some of the best collections in the world in terms of quality and variety.

The European porcelains in this exhibition are from France, Austria, Russia and Germany. One example is Meissner porcelain from Germany, which was called “white gold” because of its value. The top-notch glass objects are from Bohemia, where glass artisanship peaked in the 17th century. Many of these items are distinguished by their fine workmanship and were once presented as gifts to the sultans and dignitaries of the palace.

One of the most interesting parts in these kitchens is a gallery dedicated to Ottoman coffee culture. In this gallery, you can see the items that had been used for roasting, grinding, cooling, cooking and serving coffee in the palace.