< Previous152 AR E NA/ Is ta nbul HALL OF THE ABLUTION FOUNTAIN Covered in 17th-century Turkish tiles, the Hall of the Ablution Fountain marks the entrance to the harem and was once guarded by black eunuchs. To one side is a small mosque for the use of the eunuchs. AD_142-155_Arena_Topkapi Palace_10976435.indd 15209/12/2019 05:41:16 PMCOURTYARD OF THE EUNUCHS The Courtyard of the Eunuchs borders the served to guard entry to this part of the palace. This wall shows the evolution of its decoration, Iznik tiles and marble panels sitting cheek-by-jowl with a rococo-style window. AD_142-155_Arena_Topkapi Palace_10976435.indd 15309/12/2019 05:41:44 PMAD_142-155_Arena_Topkapi Palace_10976435.indd 15409/12/2019 05:42:06 PM155 YEREVAN KIOSK In t Designed in 1636 by the court’s chief architect Koca Kasim Aga, the Yerevan Kiosk commemorates Sultan Murad IV’s conquest of the Armenian city of Yerevan. It’s an octagonal pavilion, clad on the outside with marble and ceramic tiles. OPPOSITE PAGE: The inside features window shutters inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell, and stained-glass windows that create colourful light play. The pavilion was once used to store the sultan’s turbans. AR E N A/ Is ta nbul Distinguished by their ten huge turrets, the Imperial Kitchens were a more wholesome affair. Their scale seems implausible, until one considers that around 60 dishes were served to the sultan at each meal. Some he would eat, but others were only there to fl atter the eye. The kitchens were the biggest in the Ottoman Empire, with a dedicated creamery, “confectionery house” and drinks kitchen. Life for the 800 staff was completely self- contained, with dormitories, baths and a mosque on site. Grander spaces, of course, abounded. The Audience Chamber, where the sultan received his statesmen, was painted in costly ultramarine pigment, scattered with golden stars to imitate the sky. In the neoclassical Enderûn Library, built in the 18th-century, most of the precious books were kept in cupboards, so the focus was on the exquisite Iznik wall tiles. It’s now considered one of the fi nest examples of Ottoman architecture. At the heart of the palace was its most sequestered territory, the harem, which contained over 400 rooms. It housed the sultan’s private apartments and those of his mother, children, wives, concubines and innumerable eunuchs, the harem’s only trusted servants. It was a secret world, where almost nobody was free to leave, and nobody from the outside world could enter. Though it is routinely per- ceived as a sensual domain, it was also the palace’s domestic haven. Like the kitchens, it was a self-suffi cient community, with its own treasury, mosque, school and dormitories. Its chief beauty was perhaps Sultan Ahmed III’s spectacular Fruit Room, an 18th-century privy chamber whose every corner is fes- tooned with fruit and fl ower paintings. The sultan received guests in a domed reception hall, clad in Delftware tiles and Venetian mir- rors, or in one of a series of ornate kiosks, or pavilions, constructed for prayer, breakfast or watching sports. Secret passages allowed him to retreat to privacy and his personal ham- mam. Though it was luxurious, even this was not com- pletely safe. The golden fretwork grilles, which caught the light from honeycomb-shaped skylights, were there to protect him from murder attempts. For even in the harem, the intrigue of the court could not be banished. Until the 17th century, it was customary for sultans to kill as many sons as required to ensure their favourite succeeded them. Even after this was out- lawed, princes were kept locked in gilded cages for most of their youth, where they lived in fear of assassination. Other macabre tales of harem life have survived: the “punishment cage” in which unruly concubines were imprisoned, for instance. Today, only a handful of Topkapi’s numberless rooms are open to the public, and its air of mystery endures. Several are galleries showcasing the sultans’ treasures: decorative arts, military artefacts and jewels (including the 18th-century emerald-studded Topkapi dagger, the inspiration for Jules Dassin’s 1964 crime caper movie Topkapi). Impressive as they are, they offer but a fl eeting glimpse of times past in this otherworldly place. AD_142-155_Arena_Topkapi Palace_10976435.indd 15509/12/2019 05:42:24 PMMODERN GRANDEUR Words Rima Alsammarae Photography Richard Alcock Lebanese designer Joseph Karam has remodelled a Haussmann-era Paris apartment in lavish style AD_156-161_Arena_Paris Joseph Karam_10990633.indd 15609/12/2019 05:45:15 PM157 A large inlaid Syrian cabinet takes pride of place in the sitting room. OPPOSITE PAGE: A discreet stairway joins the two fl oors together, expanding the original footprint. A R EN A / P a ris AD_156-161_Arena_Paris Joseph Karam_10990633.indd 15709/12/2019 05:45:28 PM“ I’ve tried to respect the spirit of the building and make it shine once more ” The grand sitting room features gilded boiserie, glittering Baccarat crystal pieces and a screen created by Saint Didier. AD_156-161_Arena_Paris Joseph Karam_10990633.indd 15809/12/2019 05:45:50 PM159 AD_156-161_Arena_Paris Joseph Karam_10990633.indd 15909/12/2019 05:46:07 PMA R EN A / P a ris C LO C K W IS E F R O M T O P LE F T: T h e w o rk o f S a in t D id ie r's m a rb le w o rk e rs a n d g la s s -m a k e rs a n d s ta ff e rs e n li v e n s a la v is h b a th ro o m ; t h e r o c k c ry s ta l o f M a th ie u L u s tr e ri e 's c h a n d e li e r r e p e a ts in fi ni tel y in mir rored door s; fr om t h e walls to t h e ceiling, mir rored sur fa ce s s e rv e as a s e tt ing f o r a basin cons ole by P h ilippe S tarck f o r B a cc ar a t; a t t h e e n d o f t h e g a ll e ry c o rr id o r, a la rg e a la b a s te r v a s e is f ra m e d b y s il k d ra p e s . AD_156-161_Arena_Paris Joseph Karam_10990633.indd 16009/12/2019 05:46:20 PMstored to spectacular effect. “It’s a beautiful, bright corner room at the bow of the building with high ceilings and big windows,” says Karam, “It’s warm, elegant and refi ned.” Drawing from the client’s origins, traditional Middle Eastern furni- ture, including wooden cabinets with pearl inlay and decorative crys- tal pieces, such as the chandelier in the entrance gallery (manufac- tured by Mathieu Lustrerie), fi ll the 900 sq/m space. “I wanted to match the decoration with the architecture, and punctuate the spaces with oriental pieces and contemporary artwork,” he explains. While Karam hoped to revive the original lustre of the aged apart- ment, he also added discrete modern comforts such as audio systems, bathrooms for each bedroom, and air conditioning units, which are masked by cabinetry designed by Karam: “I design bespoke furniture for each project. Every detail is studied in collaboration with the craftsman who will realise it, so that the proportions are perfect.” In addition to the custom-made pieces, furnishings from famous French houses like Baccarat, Saint Louis and Declerq Passementiers merge together with antique fi nds from Parisian markets to create the home’s theatrical backdrop. Surrounded by gardens and wide boulevards, the apartment isn’t the fi rst collaboration between Karam and the client. Having known each other for more than 20 years, their partnership has witnessed a number of creations – in and outside of France. “I know their way of living and their needs,” says Karam. “They travel a lot, so the idea was that as soon as they wake up, they would feel that they are in Paris. I’ve tried to respect the spirit of the building and make it shine once more.” josephkaram.com ABOVE: In the dining room, Syrian chairs wrap around a large table, while an 18th century-inspired Baccarat chandelier hangs above. S T ONE’ S THRO W FROM PARIS’ PRES TIGIOUS A VENUE FOCH – the world’s most expensive parcel of real estate – sits a recently renovated apartment in a Haussmann-era building that blends old world beauty with modern day comfort. Consisting of two apartments that have been joined by an internal staircase, the duplex features a classic Parisian interior, complete with Louis XV woodwork, gilded moulding and crystal chandeliers. A holiday home for a high-profi le Middle Eastern family, the renovation and interiors were led by Lebanese designer Joseph Karam, who worked with various French craftsmen to bring the home to life, including cabinetmakers, upholsterers and painters. The results are beguilingly lavish. Karam chose ‘Gris Dior’ as the guiding theme for the home’s décor scheme, which was selected to accommodate the client’s wish for a relaxing haven. Applied throughout the apartment, the soft grey pal- ette (a “French icon of fashion and luxury,” says Karam), ties the walls and ceilings together with the decorative paintings and marble sur- faces. Gold leaf gilding further emphasises the elegance of the mould- ings and ornaments, and can be found framing the doors, sweeping along the stair railing, and gleaming on wall panels. The restoration was a complicated process: most of the layout of the apartment was revised and adapted to suit the client’s needs, which required many walls to be pulled down and supporting walls to be pierced. The reception room, however, was preserved and fully re- 161 A R EN A / P a ris a AD_156-161_Arena_Paris Joseph Karam_10990633.indd 16109/12/2019 05:46:47 PMNext >