sublime porte

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

Sublime Porte
    n 1: the Ottoman court in Constantinople [syn: {Porte}, {Sublime
         Porte}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Porte \Porte\, n. [F. porte a gate, L. porta. See {Port} a
   gate.]
   The Ottoman court; the government of the Turkish empire,
   officially called the {Sublime Porte}, from the gate (port)
   of the sultan's palace at which justice was administered.
   [1913 Webster]