MAIN ENTRANCE GATE OF THE GENERAL STAFF BUILDING (BÂB-I SERASKERÎ)

The monumental gate, currently known as the main entrance of İstanbul University, was originally called the Bâb-ı Seraskerî (General Staff Building Gate). It served as the headquarters of the Ottoman army and was constructed during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz in the Neo-Renaissance style.

Architect

The gate was built by Ali Pasha, a graduate of the Engineering School and was overseen by Altunizâde İsmail Zühdü Pasha as the building supervisor. The architect of the monumental gate and the side pavilions was Bourgeois, a French architect.

Architectural Features

The gate, which has an eclectic exterior in the form of a triumphal arch with a mix of Neoclassical and Maghreb styles, is cladded with cut limestone. Built in the form of a triple entrance arch, bounded on both sides by towers with dendan (tooth shaped parapet), the gate has a tall, wide, slightly horseshoe-shaped central arch, with two lower and narrower arches resting on bundled columns on either side. Each flanking tower is a two-storey buildings, and the upper floors are accessed via rear doors.

Inscriptions

The oval medallion on the exterior which now displays the letters 'T.C.' (Turkish Republic) originally featured the tughra (tuğra) of Sultan Abdulaziz. Below the inscription ‘İstanbul University,’ there is a triple composition in celi thuluth calligraphy, with an inscription in gold leaf on a green background.

In the centre, the inscription reads ‘Office of Military Affairs’ (Dâire-i Umûr-ı Askeriyye). On the right is the first verse of Surah al-Fateh, which says, ‘We have opened a clear path of conquest for you, [O Muhammad],’ and on the left is the third verse, ‘We have supported you with a precious victory.’ Beneath these inscriptions is the signature of the calligrapher Şefik Bey with the date 1865.

Although the inscription on the inner side of the door is arranged in the same way as the outer inscription, there is an additional historical couplet by Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi, which highlights Sultan Abdülaziz’s involvement in the building's creation or restoration: ‘Nüzhet, the humble servant, announces the date to the army: By the grace of Sultan Abdülaziz, the gate of mighty victory was opened.'

References

Altun, Ara. (1991). 'Bâb-ı Seraskeri', DİA, Vol. 4, pp. 364–365.

Aslanapa, Oktay. (1983). İstanbul Dârülfünûn ve Üniversite Binaları Tarihçesi, İstanbul Üniversitesi Yayınları, pp. 38–47.

Can, Cengiz. (1994). 'Harbiye Nezareti Binası', Dünden Bugüne İstanbul Ansiklopedisi, Vol. 3, A joint publication of the Ministry of Culture and the History Foundation, pp. 550–552.

Eyice, Semavi. (1960). 'İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzelerinin İlk Müdürlerinden Dr. Ph. Anton Dethier Hakkında Notlar', İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri Yıllığı, p. 47.

Özcan, Abdülkadir. 'Bâb-ı Seraskeri', DİA, Vol. 4, pp. 364.