Blessed Cloths in Holy Places

461 pp., color illustrations, hardcover with dust jacket, in Turkish. FOREWORD This text is the expanded second edition of my work titled Estar’ül Haremeyn-i Şerifeyn, published in Arabic in 1996. The subject of the book consists of the kiswas (coverings), embroidered door curtains, sashes, and plaques sent annually with the pilgrim caravans to the holy sites—the Kaaba and Maqam-i Ibrahim in Mecca, and the Rawda al-Mutahhara and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. These coverings, which were renewed annually with the old ones brought back, were carefully preserved in Topkapı Palace, the imperial residence of the Ottomans after Yavuz Sultan Selim's conquest of Egypt (1517). The classification, research, and evaluation of these textiles, which were under the responsibility of the Avadancılar (custodians) attached to the Sacred Relics department of the palace—now a museum—took a long time. Upon getting to know this collection at Topkapı Palace, we realized that because these coverings were believed to be blessed, they were also sent to dynastic tombs, mosques, and other religious sites. For this reason, our research continued beyond the Topkapı Palace Museum Directorate to include the Istanbul Tombs Museum Directorate, the Hagia Sophia Museum Directorate, and Dolmabahçe Palace. I would like to thank the Topkapı Palace Museum Directorate and the other museums for their assistance during our work. The Quranic verses, hadiths, and inscriptions on the coverings were read by our teacher, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Çiçekler. Author: Hülya Tezcan Wt: 3 Size: 25X33