Circumcision Room (Yazlik Oda, Sünnet Odasi, Topkapi Palace

On the south side of the Marble Terrace there is a pavilion built in the middle of the 16th century during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. The name Sünnet Odasi speaks for itself: This room was intended for the ceremony of the Sünnet (circumcision). This procedure is considered the first step of a Muslim towards physical and spiritual maturity, as the Prophet Muhammad bequeathed to his children. All the Sultan's sons aged 14-16 were circumcised here. If the young man was a contender for the heir, this event was celebrated throughout the Ottoman Empire as a symbol of the inviolability of the throne and the continuity of power. The splendor of the ancestry depended on the state of the treasury, sometimes it was modest, but historians know of a case when the celebrations on the occasion of the circumcision of Murad III's son lasted 52 days. High-ranking guests from Europe and Asia were invited to them, so the ceremony also had diplomatic significance. Initially, the pavilion was quite modest, as it was used infrequently, but in 1640, under Sultan Ibrahim, it received a luxurious decoration. According to historians, the Sultan chose the pavilion as a summer bedroom, hence the second name Yazlik Oda (summer room). Due to its location on an outdoor terrace, the pavilion is well ventilated, which is important in a hot climate, in addition, its windows offer a wonderful view of the Bosphorus and the mouth of the Golden Horn Bay. Naturally, the Sultan preferred to live in luxury, so the walls and ceiling of the pavilion were lined with patterned ceramic tiles in blue and white tones, imported from Iran. Of great interest are the window niches: in them we see marble fountains with pools, they blocked the penetration of heat from the street, which helped to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room.

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