Foreign Ministry
Later the name came to refer to the Foreign Ministry. In contemporary times, it is used for the office of the governor (Vali) of Istanbul Province. This name has also been interpreted as referring to the Empire's position as gateway between Europe and Asia.
The High Porte, in contrast, referred to the private court of the sultan. Porte is French for "gate"; therefore, the term High Porte is a bilingual combination of English High and French Porte, that is equivalent to Bab-ı Ali.
Read more about this topic: Ottoman Porte
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