Letâif-i Vekâyi’-i Enderûniyye

Letâif-i Vekâyi’-i Enderûniyye, written by Hâfız Hızır İlyas Ağa (d. 1864), one of the Enderun aghas who spent many years in the close presence of Sultan Mahmud II at Topkapı Palace, is among the foremost sources providing information on Ottoman palace life. Consisting of the memoirs and notes of Hızır İlyas Ağa from the years he spent at the palace, the work reveals, through events and individuals, the traditions, customs, and practices that shaped Ottoman palace life. In this respect, it is a work frequently consulted by researchers of palace-centered social history. Written and published in 1859, the work is also of particular significance for demonstrating the changes that took place in palace life during the transition from the traditional period to the modern period.