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When you think of the Ottomans, the first word which comes into
mind is splendor. An Empire which ruled over three continents,
which has a reputation as the mightiest Turkish State has traces
of splendor in all relics of the past. Historical buildings,
palace furniture, Sultans’ personal belongings
and many more…
Glamorous clothing of the Sultans with fancy details
reflects the splendor that comes from power. In order
to represent the majesty of the Empire, Sultans were
particular about their clothing and they preferred the
best fabric. This promoted the textile industry in the Ottomans.
The fabric for their clothing and upholstery was
woven in palace workshops and designed meticulously
by palace miniaturists. When these workshops were
not enough, orders were placed to other workshops
in Istanbul and Bursa. Silk texture was strictly controlled
to make sure that the number of threads is
adequate, the paint is proper and so on.
As the Empire was getting larger and glorious, precious
stones and furs were added to the quite simple
clothing of the Sultans of the early times. Those caftans
are preserved by special techniques. They can be greatly
admired in the museums. Strikingly, they are very large
in size. The reason behind the size was to add splendor
to the fine art of Sultans’ clothing which had perfect weaving
and the embroidering of the jewels.
There were two kinds of caftans, one for the outer, and the
other for the inner. The external caftans were for the ceremonies.
Ceremonial caftans were woven with gold or silver
threads. Both kinds of caftans were a little high-necked,
unsealed on the front and slit at the sides.
They had long or short sleeves and
they had pockets. The ceremonial
caftans had additional sleeves
with the same length
of the caftans. They added
glamour to the appearance
of the sultans
and they had a
historical function
such as to be kissed
by the subjects.