R. Doug Wicker — Author

I recently showed you the jewels contained within the Imperial Treasury in the Third Courtyard at Topkapi Palace. When one thinks of the Imperial Treasury, this is the location that comes to mind for most people. There is, however, another Imperial Treasury, but this one doesn’t house jewels. This Imperial Treasury is located in the Second Courtyard, along with the kitchens (see: Istanbul — Touring Topkapi; Entering the Grounds) and the and it is home to a very different display. Here you’ll find firearms and other items, such as timepieces. I’ll keep today’s article short, and just present images of what you’ll find in this other Imperial Treasury:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

Today we’re still in the Chamber of Sacred Relics in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Türkiye (formerly Turkey). Whereas on Monday I concentrated on objects more closely associated with the Prophet Muhammad, today I’m going to get a bit more diverse starting with two items linked to David. But first, let’s look around at the impressive interior of what used to serve as the Privy Chamber before it became home to the Sacred Relics. Note the high domes, vaulted ceilings, and intricate and colorful tiles:

On Monday I presented to you images of several sandals associated with the Prophet Muhammad. Here’s an image depicting a cast of his footprint:

On Monday I also mentioned that relics here also included artifacts associated with Abraham, Joseph, and David. Below are images to two items linked to David. The first is claimed to have been his sword, and the second image is a copper inscription describing that sword:

The chamber contains numerous beautiful, colorful, hand-printed Qur’ans and Islamic tapestry, which I’ll finish up today with this gallery/slide show:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)