A detail of the exterior wall of the Sünnet Odası (Circumcision Room), in the north corner of the palace. This room was originally built around 1530 as a summer pavilion. When it was renewed in 1640, this wall stayed untouched. Five very large white-and-blue tile panels (125 cm in height) were designed by the court ‘Nakkaş’ (painter/miniaturist) Şahkulu, who had been brought from Western Iran to Istanbul by sultan Süleymen the Magnificent around 1535. It is possible that these tiles were not made in Iznik, but in the Imperial tile workshop located in the Tekfur Sarayı neighbourhood (in Istanbul), where a tile maker from Tabriz worked with ten assistants in the years 1520-1550.

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Sources: Website of ‘topkapisarayi.gov.tr’ & Wikipedia

Part of the decoration to the left of the door.