The Fourth Courtyard evolved primarily during the 17th and 18th centuries CE and showcases a distinctive blend of Ottoman palace garden design and pavilion architecture, integrating views over the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Notable structures include the İftar Kiosk (İftariye Köşkü), a gilded pavilion used by the sultan to break his fast during Ramadan; the Circumcision Room (Sünnet Odası), decorated with prominent Iznik tilework and used for ceremonial circumcisions of princes; the Revan Kiosk and Bağdat Kiosk, both constructed by Sultan Murad IV to commemorate his military victories; and the Terrace Mosque (Sofa Camii), a small private oratory.

The spatial organization emphasizes segmented terraces, shaded arcades, water features, and controlled vistas, serving as a setting for informal rituals, rest, and imperial withdrawal. Architectural decoration in this courtyard displays increased influence from Baroque and Rococo styles, particularly under the Tulip Period (early 18th century CE), while still retaining classical Ottoman elements such as domed kiosks, pointed arches, and extensive use of İznik tiles and calligraphic panels.

Unlike the strictly hierarchical and administrative layout of the first three courtyards, the Fourth Courtyard embodies a symbolic retreat from governance to sovereignty-in-leisure, underscoring the sultan’s cultivated persona as both ruler and patron of the arts. It represents the culmination of the palace’s inward progression—an architectural metaphor for the layered sanctity and seclusion of imperial power.

The Fourth Courtyard (IV. Avlu), also known as the Imperial Sofa (Sofa-ı Hümâyûn), was more of an innermost private sanctuary of the sultan and his family, and consists of a number of pavilions, kiosks (köşk), gardens and terraces. It was originally a part of the Third Courtyard but recent scholars have identified it as more separate to better distinguish it.

circa

Yerevan Kiosk (Revan Köşkü)
The Yerevan Kiosk served as a religious retreat of 40 days. It is a rather small pavilion with a central dome and three apses for sofas and textiles. The fourth wall contains the door and a fireplace. The wall facing the colonnade is set with marble, the other walls with low-cost İznik blue-and-white tiles, patterned after those of a century earlier.

circa 1640 CE

Baghdad Kiosk (Bağdat Köşkü)
It is situated on the right side of the terrace with a fountain. It was built to commemorate the Baghdad Campaign of Murad IV after 1638 CE. It closely resembles the Yerevan Kiosk. The three doors to the porch are located between the sofas. The façade is covered with marble, strips of porphyry and verd antique. The marble panelling of the portico is executed in Cairene Mamluk style. The interior is an example of an ideal Ottoman room.

circa 1640 CE

İftar Pavilion (İftariye Kameriyesi)
The gilded İftar Pavilion, also known as İftar Kiosk or İftar bower (İftariye Köşkü or İftariye Kameriyesi) offers a view on the Golden Horn. Its ridged cradle vault with the gilded roof was a first in Ottoman architecture with echoes of China and India. The sultan is reported to have had the custom to break his fast (iftar) under this bower during the fasting month of ramadan after sunset. Special gifts like the showering of gold coins to officials by the sultan also sometimes occurred here. The marbled terrace gained its current appearance during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim (1640–48 CE).

circa 1575 CE

Terrace Kiosk of Mustafa Pasha (Sofa Köşku Mustafa Paşa)
The rectilinear Terrace Kiosk (Sofa Köşku / Merdiven Başı Kasrı), also erroneously known as Kiosk of Kara Mustafa Pasha (Mustafa Paşa Köşkü), was a belvedere built in the second half of the 16th century. It was restored in 1704 by Sultan Ahmed III and rebuilt in 1752 by Mahmud I in the Rococo style. It is the only wooden building in the innermost part of the palace. It consists of rooms with the backside supported by columns.

circa 1840 CE

Grand Kiosk of Abdül Mecid I (Mecidiye Köşkü)
The Grand Kiosk, also known as the Mecidiye Kiosk, Grand Pavilion or Kiosk of Abdül Mecid I (Mecidiye Köşkü), built in 1840, was the last significant addition to the palace, along with the neighbouring Wardrobe Chamber (Esvap Odası). Both were built on the orders of Sultan Abdül Mecid I as an imperial reception and resting place because of its splendid location, giving a panoramic view on the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus.