The sacred reliquary

The Outreach Programme of Jamia Millia Islamia, in collaboration with the Indialogue Foundation, recently hosted an exhibition of 40 photographs of objects culled from the fabulous collection housed in Topkapi Palace. Situated in Istanbul, Turkey, this palace is a repository of amazing riches and visual delights.

By Rakshanda Jalil

Topkapi Palace is studded with gilded domes and pavilions, the most notable of which is the Privy Chamber that houses the Sacred Relics. The Kalima al-Tawhid, written by Sultan Ahmed III, is inscribed on the doorway that leads into the chamber. Inside, amidst the glittering chandeliers and exquisite wall panels of Iznik tiles of the most azure blue, each object is sacred and peerless, unique in its own way. Many of these relics were passed down families for generations; others were collected by the Caliphs, becoming symbols, as it were, of the Great Ottoman Rule beginning the mid-15th century, and ofthe importance exercised by the Caliphs in the Muslim world.

Photographs of 40 objects chosen from Topkapi Palace’s vast treasure house were on display in the Jamia Archives from recently. Inaugurated by E Ahmad, minister of state for external affairs, theexhibition was visited by large numbers of people from all walks of life. While a great many were attracted by the specifically religious nature of some of these objects, others were drawn by their antiquity. For regardless of the debate on their authenticity or historical validity, these ancient objects, through the associations they conjure up, make the viewer delve more deeply into the past.

Sultan Selim I began collecting sacred relics and bringing them to Topkapi Palace shortly after his Egyptian campaign in 1516. Subsequent Turkish sultans continued this tradition till the early 20th century. They would gather the relics of the Prophet and others venerated by Muslims, as well as items from religious sites throughout the Islamic world—from Alexandria, Damascus, Mecca and Madina. After World War I, when the surrender of Madina was being considered, the city’s guardian, Fahreddin Pasha, sent to Istanbul a number of valuable gifts that had been received over the centuries, along with some sacred relics.

Today, there are 605 items registered in the Topkapi Palace Museum Division of Sacred Relics. The most notable among these include the Prophet’s mantle, standard, sandals, cup, footprint on a stone, swords, bow, a broken shard of his tooth, soil he used for his ritual ablutions, and his seal. The collection also includes a cooking vessel of Prophet Abraham; the turban of Prophet Joseph; the sword of Prophet David; a strand of hair from the first Caliph Abu Bakr’s beard; the Quran that is believed to be the one that Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was reading when he was assassinated; swords of the Prophet’s companions; Fatima al-Zahra’s blouse, veil and mantle, her son Husayn’s robe, his turban and a piece of his mantle; Imam Abu Hanifa’s robe; the headgear of Abdul Qadir Jilani and Imam Sharani; the bowls of Jalal al-Din Rumi; the lock, keys and cover of the Ka‘ba; and much more.

The items that belonged to the Prophet are called “Trusts” (Amanat), while the items belonging to other venerable persons or sacred places are called “Sacred Objects” (Tabarrukat). When these relics were first collected at Topkapi, they were preserved in different areas, including the Treasury, the Arms Treasury, the Harem and the Privy Chamber. Exactly a month after the abolishing of the Caliphate on March 3, 1924, and the establishment of the Turkish Republic, Topkapi was transformed into a museum. The Privy Chamber came to be known as the Pavilion of the Sacred Relics. Within it, the most important apartment is the Throne Room, which houses the Holy Mantle. After being closed to visitors for a long time, the Sacred Relics were put on public display on August 31, 1962. Tahsin Oz, director of the Topkapi Palace Museum Division of Sacred Relics, writing in the Emanat-i Mukaddese (The Sacred Trusts), published in 1953, says: “Sacred Relics were collected owing to various historical manifestations of fate throughout centuries. This treasure passed to the Turks piece by piece by efforts motivated by faith and sometimes by fortune. It is clear that they are not only sacred objects collected and preserved with a religious bond and love, but are valuable by world standards artistically and historically as well.”