Ottoman Royal Garments - Kaftan

The Topkapı Palace possesses a court dress collection so rich it would make all world museums envious. The collection spans from the 15th to 20th centuries. Nowhere else in the world is there such an extensive collection covering such a broad time period without interruption. We can assume that during the years when the palace was being converted into a museum, the sultans clothes were preserved in the Armorers Treasury. Some garments have notes about their owners, either written on paper and pinned to the fabric or sewn onto it. These labels are extremely valuable documents. To give an idea of the collections richness, these figures are sufficient: Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror - 21 kaftans; Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent - 77 kaftans; Ahmed I - 13 kaftans; Osman II - 30 kaftans; Murad IV - 27 kaftans. The majority of the collection, approaching 2,500 pieces, consists of robes of honor, kaftans, and şalvars (loose trousers) made from the heaviest and most beautiful fabrics and velvets specially woven for the palace...
This books main subject comprises the kaftans and other clothing items belonging to nineteen sultans, six princes, and six sultanas in the Topkapı Palace Museum collection. This book includes photographs of sultans and princes kaftans, çakşırs (fitted trousers), some undergarments, as well as their drawings, miniatures showing how they were worn in Ottoman life, and documents. I hope this will provide a more complete picture of clothing in the Ottoman world. Nurhan Atasoy

This 340-page work, measuring 24 cm x 32 cm, is printed on coated paper and presented to readers in a cloth-bound hardcover.