Holy Mantle

There are actually two different Holy Mantles. One of them is called Hırka-i Saadet, which is believed to have been given by Muhammad to a pagan Arab named Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, whose children sold it to Muawiyah I, the founder of the Umayyad dynasty. After the fall of the Umayyads, the Mantle went to Baghdad under the Abbasids, and finally ended up in Cairo where Selim I took it and brought it to Topkapi in 1595.

Other one is the Hırka-i Şerif, the cloak worn by the Profit Mohammad was under the care of the Uwais al-Qarni family until Sultan Ahmet I had it brought to Istanbul in 1611. Sultan Abdülhamid I kept it in a small room he had built especially for the mantle. Then later, Sultan Abdülmecid cleared about 700 homes to build the mosque presently on this site (constructed 1847-51). The pew on the northern side of the mosque was exclusively for the use of the Sultan. Today the mantle is only displayed during the month of Ramadan.

Uwais al-Qarni (Anis al-Qarni, Oveys Gharani and Veysel Karani) converted to Islam during Muhammad's lifetime, though they never met in person. Following the death of Muhammad in 632 CE, Qarni met Umar and Ali. The Uwaisi form of spiritual transmission in the vocabulary of Sufism is named after Uwais al-Qarni, as it refers to the transmission of spiritual knowledge between two individuals without the need for physical interaction between them.

"The Grand Seignor having taken it out of the Coffer, kisses it with much respect, and puts it into the hands of the Capi-Aga, who is come into the Room by his Order, after they had taken the Impressions of the Seal. The Officer sends to the Overseer of the Treasury, for a large golden Cauldron, which is brought in thither by some of the Senior-Pages. It is so capacious, according to the description which they gave me of it, as to contain the sixth part of a Tun, and the out-side of it is gamish'd, in some places, with Emeralds, and Turquezes. This Vessel is fill'd with water within six fingers breadth of the brink, and the Capi-Aga, having put Mahomet's Garment into it, and left it to soak a little while, takes it out again, and wrings it hard, to get out the water it has imbib'd, which falls into the Cauldron, taking great care that there falls not any of it to the ground. That done, with the said water he fills a great number of Venice-Chrystl Bottles, containing about half a pint, and when he has stopp'd them, he Seals them with the Grand Seignor's Seal. They afterwards set the Garment a drying, till the twentieth day of the Ratnazan, and then his Highness comes to see them put [it] up again in the Coffer."

Whereabouts: Topkapi Palace(Hırka-i Saadet) and Mosque of the Holy Mantle(Hırka-i Şerif)