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Turkey issued a new set of stamps which shows us the Sultan’s boat an imperial caique used by the Sultan and his family for local travel.
The name used is SALTANAT KAYIGI for this craft.
Each Sultan had one built for his own use, and the last was used till World War I.
The craft is heavily ornamented along the sides and at the stern and bow.
Bow elongated and horizontal or upturned and recurved.

Commonly she carried a figurehead of a golden bird, this craft was known as a bird caique.
An ornate pavilion at the stern provided shelter for the Sultan his family and guests.
She was double banked and rowed by 26 men, steered by a rudder with a tiller.
The early boats were also equipped with double sails.
Length between 30 and 32 meter, beam and depth between 2.5 and 3 meter.

The Sultan’s boats were used by the Sultan on the Bosporus and Golden Horn.
But many of that type were used as ferries across the Bosporus and Golden Horn by local boatmen, only she were smaller and less decorated as the boat from the Sultan.
The Sultan’s boats were always the largest craft of that time.

2002 The boats are now again re-introduced, (most probably replica’s) but are now used by tourists who can make a trip in this boat’s on the Bosporus and Golden Horn.

Turkey 2009 80K sg?, scott?

Aak to Zumbra a dictionary of the World’s Watercraft. http://www.sultankayiklari.com/history.html

Turkey issued in 2011 two stamps with boats belong to the Sultan, altogether there are fourteen boats belonging to the Sultan in the Naval Museum in Besikatas, Istanbul, Turkey.

The boat on the 90 krs is an Imperial caique used by the harem of Sultan Abdulmecit.
Built as given on the builders plate in 1850
Built carvel planked and has a clipper bow form. The exterior wale is decorated with bunches of flowers in cartouches with freestyle paintings.
There are baroque patterns and bunches of grapes on the sternpost and the inner wale is decorated with marquetry.
On the foredeck there is a silver bird figure (not visible on the stamp) and a gold leaf sign consisting of a crescent and star. It is cream-coloured and its frames are gilded.
The bow and stern is covered with pure gold.
The partition that divided the rowers from the passengers is decorated with carvings of bunches of grapes, flowers and acanthus leaves.
In the middle of the partition you can find the Ottoman coat of arms crafted.
She has 14 oars and three men with hooks. The rudder is fitted with a iron tiller.
Dim. Length 24.5 metre, beam 1.7 metre, height 2.8 metre.

Turkey 2011 90krs, sg?, scott?

Source: http://www.denizmuzeleri.tsk.tr Ertugrul Goktunali

The stamp depicts the Imperial caique rowed with 13 pairs of oars and belonging to Sultan Abdulmecid, and now in the Istanbul Naval Museum. Sultan Addulmecid was ruler of the Ottoman Imperia from 1839-1861.

The craft is carvel seamless built and has a clipper bow form.
The stem extends forward like a bowsprit with a rounded ending. The underwater hull is painted white.

The outer ornamentation of the caique is extremely rich, the exterior wale-bend is embellished with gold leaf motifs and a carving of a rope motif at the top and under the motif are carvings of three pieces of grape and curled branches on a pink 17 cm wide background covered with gold-leaves.
The bow and the stern are decorated with figures of armorial bearings. On the foredeck there is an eagle figure with outstretched wings.

The pavilion or kiosk on the afterdeck consists of a dome covered with a red drape mounted over four pillars.
A gilded rope pattern carving is in the inner borders of the dome. The Corinthian style pillars are round fluted and rise from high pedestals. The façade consist of a thin-staged bordure work, narrowing from top to bottom. The fringes are decorated with lotus motifs. There are armorial bearings on the four sides of the eave of the pavilion designed in Baldachin style.

The inside of the caique is richly decorated with a curled flower and branch carvings on a pink background which extends throughout the entire vessel. These motifs are also covered with golden leaves.

Dim: 32 x 2.4 x 3.9m (from the top of the pavilion.)

Turkey2011 1.30Tl sg?, scott?

Source: http://www.denizmuzeleri.tsk.tr Mr. Ertugrul Goktunali.