Published: 20260702
One of the greatest treasures of Wawel Royal Castle has arrived in Vilnius for the very first time – the legendary tent of the Ottoman Grand Vizier. Nearly 350 years ago, it stood outside the walls of Vienna in the Ottoman military camp. Following the decisive Battle of Vienna in 1683, it became a war trophy and is today regarded as one of the most precious objects in the collections of Wawel Royal Castle. This extraordinary 17th-century textile masterpiece has left Kraków for the first time and is now on display in Vilnius.
From 3rd of July, visitors of the Palace of the Grand Dukes can see the legendary Ottoman tent believed to have belonged to Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa. It is the centrepiece of the international exhibition “From Enemy to Ally. Lithuania, Poland and the Ottoman Empire from the 14th to the 19th Century.” One of the very few surviving 17th-century oval, two-poled Ottoman tents in Europe, it is an exceptionally rare example of Ottoman textile heritage. The tent is remarkable not only for its size but also for its interior decoration – while the interiors of other surviving Ottoman tents are adorned with red ornamental patterns, this one features blue decoration.
Because of its impressive dimensions –18 metres in length and approximately 3.5 metres in height – the tent is displayed in the Museum’s Great Renaissance Hall, a space primarily reserved for events and only exceptionally dedicated to major exhibitions. The tent was accompanied to Vilnius by a team of conservators and technicians from Wawel Royal Castle, who supervised its complex transportation and installation. Although weighing around 150 kilograms, the luxurious historic tent is also an exceptionally fragile work of art.
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“This 17th-century Ottoman tent is one of the most valuable and significant treasures in the collections of Wawel Royal Castle. Since entering our collections, it has never before left Wawel. The Palace of the Grand Dukes Museum is the first institution to which we have entrusted this exceptional object. Our decision reflects many years of partnership, professional trust, and our shared conviction that the people of Lithuania should also have the opportunity to experience this unique witness to the history of our nations,” says Professor Andrzej Betlej, Director of Wawel Royal Castle.
According to Dr Vydas Dolinskas, Director General of the Palace of the Grand Dukes, the exhibition carries special significance for Lithuania. “Several centuries ago, Lithuania also possessed similar Ottoman war trophies. They were brought back from victorious campaigns by our Grand Hetmans and adorned churches and aristocratic residences. Unfortunately, wars and occupations destroyed or dispersed almost all of them. This exhibition therefore offers a rare opportunity to recover, even temporarily, a fragment of this lost heritage,” says Dr Dolinskas.
According to Magdalena Ozga, curator of the exhibition and Curator of the Textile Collection at Wawel Royal Castle, the exhibition’s principal object still holds many mysteries. “Paradoxically, although the tent itself has survived almost unchanged, very few historical sources document its early history. It is believed that after the Battle of Vienna it came into the possession of John III Sobieski, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. It later belonged to the Wettin dynasty, was sold at the beginning of the 20th-century, and eventually returned to Poland,” explains Ozga.
Yet the exhibition tells a much broader story than the history of a single object. It explores more than five centuries of relations between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Ottoman Empire. Alongside the famous battles of Khotyn and Vienna, it examines lesser-known aspects of diplomacy, trade, cultural exchange, and unexpected political alliances.
According to Gabija Tubelevičiūtė, curator of the exhibition and Senior Coordinator of the Exhibitions and Publishing Department at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Museum, the Ottoman Empire was not merely an adversary over the centuries. “It was also an important political partner. The Ottoman sultans never recognised the partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and in the 19th-century Istanbul became a place of refuge for insurgents and political exiles from Lithuania and Poland.”
Visitors will encounter more than 60 authentic objects, including armour, textiles, paintings, ceramics, goldsmiths’ works, coins, and medals from the collections of Wawel Royal Castle and the Palace of the Grand Dukes. The curators invite audiences to view the Ottoman Empire not solely as an enemy but as a state whose relationship with Lithuania was far more complex and fascinating than is commonly assumed. The exhibition’s title, “From Enemy to Ally,” reminds us that even the longest conflicts in history may ultimately give way to shared interests and cooperation.
The international exhibition “From Enemy to Ally. Lithuania, Poland and the Ottoman Empire from the 14th to the 19th Century” will be on view at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Museum until 6 December 2026. The exhibition has been organised by the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Museum in cooperation with Wawel Royal Castle – State Art Collections and the Polish Institute in Vilnius.
