Baghdad Pavilion
The Topkapi Palace is built as a collection of courtyards and pavilions. One of these small structures, known as kiosks, was the Baghdad Pavilion built in 1638 by Sultan Murad IV to commemorate his campaign in Baghdad. It is located in the Third Courtyard, or “Imperial Sofa,” the most secluded area of the palace, which served as a private sanctuary for the sultan and his family. This image shows the Iftar Kiosk, located in the marble courtyard in front of the Pavilion, where the Sultans might choose to break the Ramadan fast; one can see the view it offered of the Golden Horn on the left. The pavilion features an overhanging roof around its perimeter and is lavishly decorated with marble pillars and panels, Iznik tiles, inlaid mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, ivory and gold leaf. Couches ring the inside perimeter of the pavilion, which suited the pavilion's employment as a library, and its furnishings feature a fireplace with a gilded hood and a silver brazier, a gift from Louis XIV.