The article is devoted to the description of the ancient palace ceremony of veneration and “adoration” of the Ottoman Padishah as the successor of the Byzantine emperors, borrowed from the Royal Basileos and adapted to the Eastern and Islamic customs. It is noteworthy that Byzantium, as the successor of the Roman Empire, could organically absorb some Iranian and Semitic traditions alike, especially when it came to palace receptions. The theory of the Eastern origin of these forms of ceremonial behavior is widely accepted in historiography. The archons entrance ceremony into the throne room, which began in the early morning, sometimes after the morning service in the church, was slowpaced, with a strict ranking of officials according to their importance in the imperial entourage. The main part of the palace reception was completely devoted to the performance of the glorification of Basileus. After the conquest of Constantinople in May 1453 and the fall of Byzantium, along with the title of “Caesar of the Romans”, the Sultan adopted the basic elements of Byzantine palace protocol. The general pattern of the honoring ceremonies for the monarch traditional for imperial receptions was inherited by the Ottoman court during such celebrations as the Sultans accession to the throne, as well as main Islamic holidays. Comparing the ceremonial traditions, one can immediately notice not only the strong influence of the Byzantine palace protocol on the ceremonial of the sultans court, but also a continuity in the conduct of festive rituals.
Mikhail Yakushev (Wed,) studied this question.