Sublime Porte
proper noun
Also a form of Porte
Forms High Porte Ottoman Porte Porte
- proper noun (literally) The monumental portal at the Ottoman palace where the supreme tribunals were held; became the surname of the first palace in Bursa, transferred to the even grander Topkapı palace after the capital's transfer to Istanbul (the former Byzantine imperial capital Constantinople)
- proper noun (figuratively) The Ottoman sultanic court, hence the imperial government, notably the vizierial divan and the entire empire, or a personage with a similar standing.
Synonyms
Etymology
From French Sublime Porte (“high gate/portal”).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “Sublime Porte”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details