Porte

Synonym of the government of the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman Porte, Sublime Porte, and High Porte are similar terms.

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The Sublime Porte was the open court of the sultan, lead by the Grand Vizier. It got its name after the gate to the headquarters to the Grand Vizier, where the sultan held the greeting ceremony for foreign ambassadors. It was an ancient Oriental practice to make the gates of cities and kings' palaces places of assembly. The term is French for "lofty gate." French was the language of European diplomacy.

Related Topics:
Sultan - Grand Vizier - Oriental - French - European

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Later it became the Foreign Ministry and in contemporary times the office of the governor (Vali) of Istanbul Province. This name has also been interpreted as referring to the Empire's position as gateway between Europe and Asia.

Related Topics:
Istanbul Province - Europe - Asia

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The High Porte, in contrast, was the private court of the sultan. When translated into English, the Turkish term Babi Ali means, literally, "High Gate." Porte is French for "Gate," therefore, the term High Porte is a bilingual combination of English High and French Porte that is equivalent to Babi Ali.

Related Topics:
Sultan - English - Turkish - French

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See: Macaronic.

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