Selim III
This replica from the 19th century exhibited in your room is of one of the 87 talismanic shirts from the Collection of Sultan’s Clothing at Topkapi Palace and it is considered to have belonged to Selim III according to the prayers, motives and meanings of the talisman on the shirt and therefore was adorned with one of his poems…
May this Talisman protect you from the evil and those that are poisonous like scorpions and snakes…
Sultan Selim III was born in Istanbul on December 24, 1761. His father was Sultan Mustafa III and his mother was Sultan Mihrisah…
His father Sultan Mustafa III who believed in oracles urging him that his newborn Selim was going to be a unprecedented Sultan and upon these words, Sultan Mustafa euphorically ordered festivals lasting seven days and nights. Sultan Selim III grew up in such environment, was raised carefully at the Palace. His father wished his son Sultan Selim III to ascend the throne after himself. However following the unfortunate death of his father, Selim III could not inherit the Sultanate because of his uncle’s right to the throne…
A long and uneasy waiting started for his mother Sultan Mihrisah… There was so much to fight for her to witness his son reigning… After 15 years, finally luck was on the side of Selim III…
Istanbul was shaking by the sound of celebration shootings… These shootings were for the enthronement of Sultan Selim III. It was a sunny day when the Eunuch came running to her room while Sultan Mihrisah was laying on her sofa; as she greeted him, she started to listen his words with bated breath. He was giving the good news with shining eyes: My Sultan! You are finally the "Mother Sultan"! The book in her graceful fingers fells upon her knees… It was April 7, 1789… The 15 years of longing finally ended… Still dazzlingly beautiful Sultan was finally going back to Topkapi Palace with traditional "Mother Sultan Celebration"… The six horsed carriage was spreading golds both sides, greeted by janissaries aligned on the route to Divan. As the crowd walked through the first door of Topkapi Palace, new Sultan greeted his Mother three times from head to toe, kissed the hand coming out of the curtains of the carriage, among the claps of sergeants.
With the excitement of these events, Mother Sultan ordered the Head Augur a talismanic shirt to be tailored for his son right away…
A short sleeved and swan necked shirt was made of white thin ketene. It is a piece of art highlighting religious symbols. The front side of the shirt is slit and four opposing patterns of "Eye of Ali" on both sides compose the design. The most interesting pattern on the original shirt is the zulfiqar and scorpion motives between the shoulder blades. There are Seal of Solomon patterns on the centre of these two motives. The names of four angels, Gabriel, Michael, Saraphiel, Azrael are mentioned on the shirt and it is known that these were the scorpion charms. There was a certain belief that these names would overpower the poisonous reptiles such as snakes and scorpions. And of course all the rest of the prayers were for God to protect Selim III…
