The Sublime Porte (Sublime Gate) was the name of the open court of the sultan, led by the Grand Vizier. It got its name from the gate to the headquarters of the Grand Vizier in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, where the sultan held the greeting ceremony for foreign ambassadors. It was an ancient Ottoman practice to make the gates of cities and kings palaces places of assembly. Later the name came to refer to the Empire s position as gateway between Europe and Asia. Following the success of the album Istanbul, Jordi Savall crosses new boundaries between Orient and Occident. This time, the vocal traditions of the Ottoman Empire, Armenia and the Jewish Diaspora are brilliantly resuscitated. Instrumental interludes enable us to enjoy this journey through time and space. In addition to Hesp¨rion XXI, this album features the elite of Turkish traditional musicians under the inspired direction of Maestro Savall.