The Sultan of Turkey Leaving His Palace To Go To The Mosque

Description

This engraving, published in The Illustrated London News on April 21, 1877, depicts Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II leaving Dolmabahçe Palace on horseback and setting off for the Eyüp Sultan Mosque for Friday Prayers. In the Ottoman Empire, the procession of sultans to and from a public mosque on Friday prayers, accompanied by a specific ceremony, was known as a "Friday Selamlık" or "Selamlık Resmi." During the Ottoman Empire following the conquest of Istanbul, the Friday Selamlık was a weekly occurrence, observed by everyone, both local and foreign, Muslims and non-Muslims, and numerous complaints and petitions were submitted to the sultan by citizens along the way. The sultan's journey to Eyüp Sultan was not merely a journey of personal worship but also a symbolic ceremony that reinforced his religious legitimacy in the eyes of the public. Since 1877 was the beginning of the 93 War between the Ottoman Empire and Russia, such religious-based ceremonies were of great importance in strengthening the unity and morale of the state.The crowd gathered at the palace gate reflects Ottoman society's devotion to the sultan and the state's grandeur. This scene also serves as a religious-political spectacle that reinforces the sultan's power. The density and mobility of the crowd create a dramatic effect in the engraving. The detailed facial depictions in the foreground represent the different classes of Ottoman society, while the figures saluting on horseback represent foreign missions. Furthermore, the sultan riding in the center is the focal point of the composition. The magnificent Dolmabahçe Palace gate in the background, with its architectural ornamentation, adds spatial depth and reflects the grandeur of the Ottoman palace.