Wood identification in Yıldız Palace Harem structures (19th century) in Istanbul

Abstract

YA±ldA±z Palace was the last Ottoman Palace built. Harem Structures of this Palace are one of the important parts of the complex. These structures are composed of five parts: the apartments of the Sultan’s consort I and II, the apartments of the concubines, the apartments of the Harem’s chief treasurer, and the passages between apartments. In this research, the woods used in these parts of the complex were identified by using macroscopic and microscopic analysis. For this purpose, a total of 10 wood fragments were taken from the different buildings of Harem Structures: 6 from the apartments of the Harem’s chief Treasurer, 3 from the apartments of the concubines and 1 from the apartments of the Sultan’s consorts. The results obtained from macroscopic and microscopic tests of the samples have been analyzed and findings were presented in separate tables for each species. The research was finalized with the discussion and evaluation of the analysis and findings. Key words: YA±ldA±z Palace, Harem structures, macroscopic identification, microscopic identification, softwood species, hardwood species.