Power, prestige and piety: architectural patronage of the ımperial harem affilitated women in İstanbul

Abstract

This article examines the architectural patronage of imperial Harem-affiliated women in Istanbul covering the period from the conquest of Istanbul until the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is known that women from various segments of society, mainly members of the imperial dynasty, engaged in architectural patronage from the early days of the empire, especially in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Women, who served in the imperial Harem which operated as a wellorganized and rigid system of protocol and hierarchy in contrast to what Orientalist discourse depicted Harem women as sexually enslaved, secluded and degraded, also acted as architectural patrons. Women serving in various ranks of the Harem hierarchy, especially those of high ranking administrative staff, undertook architectural patronage, which varied in volume in accordance with their status in the Harem. These activities took place either during their service period in the Harem or following their transfer from the imperial court. By tracing the charitable buildings constructed by palace-affiliated women in a chronological and thematic order, the present study reveals how this group of women served the public and contributed to the development of the city’s fabric. Their charitable work was determined by the political, social and economic circumstances of the era. My contention is that, the study of the architectural patronage of this group of women unveils the fact that a Harem career furnished these women with wealth, prestige and piety while at the same time their pious activities allowed them to contribute to the prestige of the imperial household in the eyes of urban society.