Ayşe Osmanoğlu

The Ottomans : The Story of a Family

The Young Ottoman Scholars Society

by

The Initiative

The Young Ottoman Scholars Society, founded on 27th July 2024, is an initiative I have established to encourage young people to explore their Ottoman heritage and to deepen their understanding of our shared history. The launch date was carefully chosen. My eldest son, Maximilian Ali, wrote and submitted the very first article published by the Society, which you can read here to gain an understanding of the importance of this auspicious date.

The Inspiration

This initiative was inspired by two young men, Emirhan and Yusuf, whom I met through social media.

I met Emirhan on Instagram. He is 20 years old and fascinated by Ottoman History. Emirhan offered to translate my ‘Write’ Now! posts into Turkish which I found incredibly generous. These can be read at Bugün under the ‘Write Now! drop down section on the main menu on my Home page. He recently wrote an article which he sent me to read on Sabiha Sultan, who is one of his favourite Imperial Ottoman Princesses, and this sparked an idea in my mind.

Yusuf is also 20 years old, and I met him on Twitter. He ordered a copy of A Farewell To Imperial Istanbul from The Great British Bookshop and had it shipped to Türkiye, making it the the first copy of my book to arrive in the country. Yusuf decided to read the last chapters of the book in the grounds of the Dolmabahçe Palace which moved me deeply, and then he posted a detailed review on Twitter which you can read here. This also got me thinking…

Their passion for Ottoman history made me realise the desire among many young people to connect with their roots and heritage.

Aims

The Young Ottoman Scholars Society aims to foster a community of young people eager to learn about our proud history. Every month, I invite young scholars aged 27 and under to submit articles on various aspects of Ottoman history. These articles can cover members of the Ottoman Dynasty, Imperial Palaces, Mosques, monuments, significant historical events, or aspects of Ottoman art, music, literature, or culture. Articles can be written in Turkish, English, or both, and should be between 500-1000 words.

Guidelines

Submissions will be reviewed and those selected will be published on our platform, allowing for comments and discussions in a safe forum. To submit an article for consideration, please follow these guidelines:

  1. Download and complete the submission form available here.
  2. You must be aged 27 years or under.
  3. If you are 17 or younger, please obtain parental consent.
  4. Your article should be 500-1000 words long.
  5. Articles can be written in Turkish, English, or both.
  6. You may include images.
  7. Submit your article as a Word document to hanedanpress@gmail.com.

Join us in celebrating and preserving our rich Ottoman history by contributing your insights and research. I can’t wait to see what you send me…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aysa Acar says

    Having been born out of Turkey and always in British or British International schools in many different countries I think this is a fantastic idea!
    Both my parents were Turkish and obviously no Turkish history was ever taught at school.
    Looking forward to reading and learning more!!
    Important for those of us with Turkish blood and heritage .
    Great Idea!

    • Ayşe Osmanoğlu says

      Thank you so much for your support on this Aysa. I just hope it encourages young people to delve into the past and feel proud of their Ottoman History. I can’t wait to see what they choose to write about and look forward to reading their articles and sharing them on this page. If you know of any young people who may be interested in researching and submitting an article, please do forward this post on to them…

  2. Aysa Acar says

    Ayse – you should contact SOAS ..
    your perfect academic audience who could enlighten those of us that are eager to gain more knowledge.
    I’m sure they would be very interested!
    My parents always pointed out Dolmabahce as we drove past it on our holidays and its beauty did enchant me even as a small child all those years ago and still does !
    If I’m in Istanbul on my birthday I always go there – my favourite.
    The Eau de Nil colour of some of the curtains there is my favourite colour now.
    As they say .. it’s in the blood and the bond grows stronger as you get older.
    So thank you for stirring up my love for my homeland.

    • Ayşe Osmanoğlu says

      Thank you for sharing this good idea, Aysa. I will most definitely think about contacting SOAS.

      And I’m so happy I’ve been able to help you feel more connected to your roots through my writing. You are right – love for your homeland is in your blood and in your soul and I completely agree that the longing for it strengthens as we get older. I feel it too…🌷