Adjacent to the Yeni Valide Camii is the Imperial Pavillion, until recently in a desperate state of neglect and closed to the public. But having ridden the wave of restorations preceding Istanbul as European Cultural Capital 2010, the Hünkar Kasri has been restored to its original decorative glory. The interior is a dizzying canvas of Ottoman workmanship: 17th-century cobalt and crimson Iznik tile (there are more than 10,000 of them), stained glass, colored calligraphy on carved wood (a technique known as Edirnekâri), mother-of-pearl inlay, and gold leaf. The pavilion belongs to the cluster of imperial buildings that includes the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, the Yeni Valide Camii, a medrese, hamam, mausoleum, and garden, and was used by the imperial family as a resting place before or after prayers and on holy days. For convenience, the pavilion was connected to the Yeni Valide Camii by way of a long corridor spanning the street-level passageway that connects the square in front of the Yeni Cami with Bankacilar Sokak, allowing the Sultan to directly, and privately, enter the mosque. Entrance to the building is via a stone ramp accessed from Bankacilar Sokak called the Tahtirevan yolu or Palanquin Way, indicating the high station of those who entered.