Özet:

It is characteristic of the Islamic state tradition to attribute sanctity to the body and place of residence of the ruler in the medieval and early modern periods. The less visible the sovereign was, the more blessed and mystical the state he represented would be. In the Ottoman Empire, which continued this practice by drawing on many traditions, the sultan became less visible from the 15th century and lived in seclusion. The less visible sultan further increased his inaccessibility with the palace he had built and the protocol rules he put into practice in this palace. This process, which continued for nearly two hundred years, was abandoned in the 18th century and the sultan who "sees without being seen" has given his place to the sultan who "exhibits" himself. This change in the body politics of the sultan and the place where he lived was not only due to personal preferences but also to the emergence of various challenges from the inside and outside. The sultan, under the pressure of the newly emerging social classes, felt the need to exhibit himself within the city. In addition to this internal pressure, the sultan also came under the influence of the innovations witnessed in Europe and, accordingly, of concern for his image. Thus, from the 15th to the 18th centuries, the Ottoman sultans, who now had a concern for legitimacy, wanted to be more visible and accessible.

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