A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME BEGINS: THE ARCHIVE TREASURE BUILDING OF THE TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM
Located within the Topkapı Palace complex, the Archive Building is situated in Istanbul’s Fatih District, on parcel 38 of block 2, inside the palace’s Second Courtyard. The Matbah-ı Amire (Imperial Kitchens) buildings, which were part of the palace’s original construction, are known to have originally consisted of kitchens, a pantry, and a bakery. In 1574, a fire broke out in the kitchens, destroying nearly the entire kitchen complex. Due to the extensive reconstruction that followed, it has not been possible to determine the nature or timeline of any alterations made before the fire.
One of the buildings within the Matbah-ı Amire complex, the Kiler-i Amire ve Yağhane (Imperial Pantry and Oil House), also perished in the 1574 fire alongside other kitchen structures. A monthly expense register includes various expenditures related to the reconstruction of the palace kitchens, candy house (helvahane), and pantry from July 1574 until March 1575. The ledger also records that Mimar Sinan was assigned to rebuild the kitchens and pantry following the fire.
It is known that in the 1940s, single-story wooden annexes with mono-pitched roofs facing the courtyard were removed from the Kiler-i Amire and Yağhane buildings. In the 1960s, the buildings were reconstructed with a reinforced concrete structure while preserving their outer masonry walls. A partial basement was added to the pantry section. During these restorations, the masonry walls separating the vaulted section between the two buildings were demolished and later rebuilt after the new structure was completed. The roofs of the buildings were also renewed during this period, giving them their current appearance.
The Kiler-i Amire ve Yağhane structure is a two-story masonry building with a rectangular floor plan. The section accessible through the door beside the Aşçılar Mescidi (Cooks’ Mosque) on the left side includes three floors, including a basement. The façade is made of roughly cut stone, with a hipped roof covered in lead sheeting. Window surrounds are made of finely cut stone, and the arches above the windows and doors are constructed with brick. The doors and windows are made of wood.
Although the Kiler-i Amire and Yağhane buildings are thought to have undergone various repairs over time, the most extensive restoration took place in the 1960s. After the palace was converted into a museum, the poorly constructed wooden additions in front of the building were removed. The structure was briefly used as a police station, and after repairs in 1958, it was repurposed as the palace’s archive and fabric storage facility.
As ALBA İnşaat, our restoration works, which began in 2024, are currently ongoing.