17th Century - 21st Century (Ottoman Control): Sultan's Multiple Uses of the Tekfur Sarayi
Under Ottoman control the Tekfur Sarayi was a symbol of the Sultan's excess. Throughout the period, the various Sultans used the former palace as a Menagerie (storage place for Sultan's exotic pets), a brothel, a jewish poorhouse, a ceramics factory, and more (1). Besides the role of poorhouse, which occurred during a period of extreme economic decline, the other main roles were meant to represent the wealth and success of the empire (2). This shows that although this Lieu De Memoire’s meaning changes across time periods and cultures, the overall purpose is one of national pride. This attempt to use the Tekfur Sarayi as a symbol of empirical success has been and will continue to be a theme across eras and empires. Thus, when the historic building was abandoned, its cultural understanding again transformed.
"The Ottoman Empire has the body of a sick old man, who tried to appear healthy" - Sir Thomas Roe, Former Ambassador to Constantinople
This era of abandonment was an all-time low in Istanbul and that is very accurately represented in the decrepit state of the Tekfur Sarayi at the time. This time represents the fall of the Ottoman empire and the start of Turkey as a nation. This period marks a time of civil unrest and big socio-cultural shifts, also represented in the abandonment of this Byzantine palace that had many times before stood for prosperity (1). The abandonment and civil disputes resulted in damage to the interior of the palace but it remained the best preserved of the three surviving Byzantine palaces. Despite the fact that, initially, the Turkish Government ignored this historic building and many other landmarks of Istanbul's rich history, it wasn't long before they too tried to redefine the Tekfur Sarayi's image as a Lieu De Memoire.
1) Boyar, Ebru, and Kate Fleet. "Istanbul and Its Environs." A Social History of Ottoman Istanbul (n.d.): n. pag. Web.