Situated in the very center of the Third Courtyard, directly behind the Audience Chamber, the Library of Ahmed III stands as the most beautiful monument of the Tulip Era. Built in 1719, it reflects the period’s renewed passion for art, culture, and knowledge. This was not merely a storage for books, but a purpose-built imperial library, designed to serve the scholars and students of the Enderun School.
The building is a sublime example of classical Ottoman architecture infused with elegant baroque details. Its exterior is adorned with marble and exquisite calligraphy, while the interior dazzles with some of the finest examples of 16th and 17th-century Iznik tiles. The library once housed a magnificent collection of over 3,500 manuscripts on theology, law, and literature, stored in mother-of-pearl and ivory inlaid cabinets. It remains a powerful symbol of the Sultan’s role as a patron of learning and the arts.