Seraglio

"Saray" redirects here. For other uses, see Saray (disambiguation).
A hall in the Seraglio (Topkapı Palace), Istanbul
Sultan Selim III holding an audience in front of the Gate of Felicity, by Konstantin Kapıdağlı, Topkapı Palace
Ottoman officers in front of the Al-Karak Saray in 1910, following the Karak revolt.

A seraglio,[a] serail,[b] seray or saray (from Persian: سرای, romanized: sarāy, lit. 'palace', via Turkish, Italian and French) is a castle, palace or government building which was considered to have particular administrative importance in various parts of the former Ottoman Empire.

"The Seraglio" may refer specifically to the Topkapı Palace, the residence of the former Ottoman sultans in Istanbul (known as Constantinople in English at the time of Ottoman rule).[1] The term can also refer to other traditional Turkish palaces (every imperial prince had his own) and other grand houses built around courtyards.


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  1. ^ "Topkapi Palace Museum – museum, Istanbul, Turkey". Archived from the original on 24 February 2021.