Soyut ve Somut Kültürel Miras Olarak Topkapı Sarayı Mutfakları –Matbah-ı Amire

A country’s cuisine and its food culture are considered intangible cultural heritage concept. The Palace Kitchens, named Matbah-ı Amire, were partially built by Chief Architect Sinan in the XVIth century as one of the important buildings symbolizing Ottoman architecture and palace life with its functional formation, proportions, and construction technique. Now, Matbah-ı Amire is a part of the ‘’Topkapi Palace Museum’’. Until moving to Dolmabahçe Palace, meals and desserts were prepared for thousands of people every day. In this area of the Place there are many buildings such as dormitories, cellars, oil workshops, and kitchenware houses. However, within the scope of this study, only the main kitchen building has been examined. Its architectural plan (kitchen, inner courtyard, ward volumes) is located around a closed courtyard. After the fire in 1574, kitchens and ward structures were also renovated by Chief Architect Sinan. The purpose of the article is to explain the architectural layout, restoration, and function of the Topkapı Palace kitchen buildings, which served a large community of members of the Ottoman Empire, including the Sultan, his family and statesmen, and its current museum location. Palace food culture, customs, kitchen and tableware used will be mentioned as intangible cultural heritage