Ottoman court

palace museum in Istanbul, Turkey

cabinet of the Ottoman Empire

thumb|right|Pages of the (Inner Service) with a court dwarf and a deaf-mute () '''''' (, from Persian , ) was the term used in the Ottoman Empire to designate the "Inner Service" of the imperial court, concerned with the private service of the Ottoman sultans, as opposed to the state-administrative "Outer Service" (). Its name derives from the location of the sultan's apartments in the inner court of the Topkapi Palace, which in turn echoed the arrangements of the palace in Edirne, the Ottomans' second capital.

head of the eunuch servants of the Ottoman Seraglio

Ottoman court official

thumb|Two kapıcıbaşi depicted in Antoine-Laurent Castella 1812 work. The Ottoman title of kapıcıbaşı designated the chief of the palace gatekeepers, or "chief warder". In the early phase of Ottoman statehood there was one single title-holder. It multiplied over time and there were in the 18th century some 150 simultaneous title-holders. The holder supervised the palace gatekeepers (kapıcılar), was in charge of guarding the gates, transmitted messages and orders, and executed Imperial Council orders.

building in Ottoman Empire, Istanbul

Nasîhatnâme (, Naṣīḥat-nāme) were a type of guidance letter for Ottoman sultans, similar to mirrors for princes. They draw on a variety of historical and religious sources, and were influenced by the governance of previous empires such as the Seljuk Turks or the Mongols, as well as by early Muslim history and by contemporary events.

'''''' (, from the Persian word for 'outside') was the term used in the Ottoman Empire to designate the "Outer Service" of the imperial court, concerned with the public affairs of the Ottoman sultans, as opposed to the private "Inner Service" (). Its name derives from the location of its offices in the outer court of the Topkapi Palace, which in turn echoed the arrangements of the palace in Edirne, the Ottomans' second capital.

culture that evolved around the court of the Ottoman Empire