The day-to-day conduct of Ottoman government and …

Years: 1396 - 1539
The day-to-day conduct of Ottoman government and the formulation of policy are in the hands of the divan, a relatively small council of ministers directed by the chief minister, the grand vizier.

The entranceway to the public buildings in which the divan meets—and which in the seventeenth century becomes the residence of the grand vizier—is called the Bab-i Ali (High Gate, or Sublime Porte).

In diplomatic correspondence, the term Porte is synonymous with the Ottoman government, a usage that acknowledges the power wielded by the grand vizier.

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