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Ayşe Osmanoğlu

The Ottomans : The Story of a Family

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Guest Posts

Sorularınız Pederim Şehzade Osman Selahaddin Efendi Tarafından Cevaplandırılır

March 12, 2021 by Ayşe Osmanoğlu

Your Questions Answered by my Father, Şehzade Osman Selahaddin Efendi

Beni Instagram ve Twitter’dan takip eden ve pederime bu kadar ilginç sorular yönelten herkese teşekkür ederim. Dediğim gibi, cevaplamak için on soru seçti. Cevapları aşağıdadır:

Thank you to everyone who follows me on Instagram and Twitter who submitted such interesting questions to my father. As I said, he has chosen ten questions to answer. His replies are below:

1. Osmanlı torunu olmak neler hissediyor selametle? (Instagram: Mustafa, Elazığ’dan)

1. What does it feel like to be a descendant of the Ottomans? (Instagram: Mustafa from Elazığ)

Mısır’da doğdum ve okula gittim. Orada Osmanlı hanedanı üyesi olduğumdan dolayı tüm ailemiz büyük saygı gördük. Sürgünden sonra babamın sayesinde tüm Fransa’da yaşayan hanedan azalarına (yalnız Şehzadeler ve Sultanlar) Fransız hükümeti pasaportlar tahsis etti. Bunlar Fransız vatandaşı değil Osmanlı vatandaşı olarak yazılı idi. Aynı zamanda İmparatorluk Prensi ve Prensesi olarak verildiler. Ben 18 yaşından itibaren İngiltere’de yaşadım ve orada da His İmperial Highness olarak bilindim {Tapum, Banka hesabim, Enstitüm vesaire} Kısacası Osmanlı torunu olduğumu unutmam mümkün değildi. Dolaysiyle, soyumdan ve tarihimizden tabii ki her zaman büyük gurur duymuşumdur.

I was born in Egypt and went to school there. Many members of the Ottoman dynasty also lived there at that time, and we were all highly respected. Following the exile, my father persuaded the French government to allocate passports for the members of the dynasty (only the Imperial Princes and Imperial Princesses) who were living in France as they had no official documents and had been left stateless. These passports were unusual in that they referred to members of the dynasty as being Ottoman citizens, not French citizens. They also stated their full titles in the passport as the Imperial Prince or Princess. I lived in England from the age of 18 and I was known as His Imperial Highness there as well in all things official, such as on the deeds to my house, my bank account, by the chartered institute I belonged to etc. In short, I could not forget that I am a descendant of the Ottomans. And of course, it goes without saying that I have always been very proud of my lineage and history.

2. Tarihimizi bizler kitaplardan okurken bile gözyaşımıza öfkemize hakim olamıyoruz ! Kinimiz hala dipdiri. Kendisi Dünyaya hükümdar olan İmparatorluk mensubu olarak kini hala diri mi ? (Twitter: isimsiz)

2. Even when we read our history from books, we cannot control our tears, our anger! Our grudge is still deep. As a member of the dynasty whose Empire ruled the Earth, do you still hold a grudge? (Twitter: anon)

Sultan Mehmed VI
Sultan Vahideddin
Sultan Mehmed VI, the last Ottoman Sultan

Tarihte hanedanlar kaldırılınca, başlarında olan hükümdar tabii ki sürgüne yollanmıştır. Beraberinde refikası ve çocukları gitmişlerdir. Belki tek tük bir hanedan azası ilave edilmiştir. Fakat, tarihte hiç bir hanedanın toplu bir şekilde 155 üyesi zorunlu olarak, iki aylık çocuk dahi, sürgün edilmemiştir. Bu açıdan eleştiririm.

In History, it is usual for the ruler of a dynasty to be exiled if his regime is overthrown. It is also common for his wife and children to be sent into exile with him, together with perhaps a few senior members of the dynasty. However, never before in history has an entire dynasty of all its 155 members been exiled, to such an extreme that even a two-month-old child is banished. I criticize the policy in this respect.

3. Özellikle sürgün döneminde hanedanın çektiği sıkıntılar? (Instagram: Doğan, Malatya’dan)

3. What difficulties were faced by members of the Imperial family during their exile? (Instagram: Doğan from Malatya)

Aniden saraydan sürgüne giden tüm hanedan azaları büyük duygusal ve manevi sıkıntıları ve ciddi maddi zorluklarına rağmen, hiç bir zaman Türk devletine karşı eleştiride bulunmadılar, nede yeni cumhuriyete karşı bir davranışta bulunmadılar.

Prof. Dr. Ekrem Buğra Ekinci’nin “Sürgündeki Hanedan” kitabını okumanızı tavsiye ederim, Timaş yayınları tarafından yayınlandı.  

Many difficulties were faced by members of the Ottoman family during their exile due to great emotional and mental distress and dire financial hardship. Despite these pressures, they never publicly criticised the new Turkish Republic or considered taking steps to challenge the regime.

I recommend you read Professor Dr Ekrem Buğra Ekinci’s book ‘The Dynasty in Exile’ published by Timaş.

4. a. Osmanlı hanedanı nı ingilteredeki gibi türkiyede sembolik hale gelmesini istermiydiniz sultanım? (Instagram: Alihan, Antalya’dan)

b. Hükümetler ve cumhurbaşkanı üstü bir makam şart bence denetleyici ve gözetleyici isveç te yaşıyorum buradakine benzer bir kraliyet sistemi olmalı ve turkiyede bu makama atalarimizin bize mirası osmanlı ailesi geçmelidir tıpkı norveç isveç danimarka ingiltere ispanya v.s olduğu gibi lâkin bizim bu üst makam daha aktif bir rol almalı bu konu hakkında ne düşünür böyle bir teklif gelse? Hükümetler ve cumhurbaşkanlığı üstü gözetleyici ve denetleyici “kraliyet ” sistemi hakkında? Selamlar sevgiler saygılar sultanım. (Instagram: Ahmet, İzmir’dan)

4. a. Would you want the Ottoman Dynasty to become the symbolic head of state in Turkey as it is in England? (Alihan from Antalya)

b. I live in Sweden so have seen how the system of constitutional monarchy operates here. What would you think if an offer to restore such a system in Turkey as exists in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England and Spain was made? What do you think about the Monarchical v/s Presidential system? With my love and respects, my Sultan. (Instagram: Ahmet from Izmir)

Monarşilerde yaşayan insanlar genel olarak daha mutlu ve benzer bölgelerde Cumhuriyetlerde yaşayanlara göre genellikle daha iyi durumda. Örneğin:

1 – Benelüks ülkeleri ve orta Avrupa ülkeleri.

2 – Kanada ve ABD

3 – İskandinav ülkeleri ve Rusya

4 – Malezya ve Vietnam, Kamboçya veya Laos.

5 – Japonya ve Çin

The people living in Monarchies are by and large happier and generally better off than those living in Republics in similar areas. For example:

1 – Benelux countries v/s central European countries.

2 – Canada v/s USA

3 – Scandinavian countries v/s Russia

4 – Malaysia v/s Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos

5 – Japan v/s China

5. Her ne olursa olsun kendi mülklerinden böylesi uzaklaştırılmasını doğru bulmuyorum, Türkiye cumhuriyet sisteminde olsa da, hiç bir zaman gerçek demokrasiyle yönetilmemesini de bir kenera bırakıyorum, batıda sembolikde olsa kraliyet aileleri örnekleri ait oldukları yerlerde yaşamlarını sürdürürken sizlerinde ait olduğunuz toprak ve mekanlarınıza dönmeniz gerektiği düşüncesindeyim. Bunun için bir girişimde bulunmayı düşünmüyormusunuz? Atalarınıza ait olan mülklerin müzeleştirilmiş olması hakkı parlementoda mı olmalı? Sizler bu ülkenin var olmasına etken ailenin soy sahiplerisiniz, bizlere bu durumun neden olduğunu, kimlerin sebep ve etkili olduğunu dış mihraplarla yapılan anlaşmalar neler olduğunu Şehzademizin açıklamasını isterdim. Sevgimle sultanım (Instagram: Arzu, İstanbul’dan)

5. Do you intend to make an attempt to reclaim property that was confiscated by the Turkish Republic? Does Parliament have the right to confiscate property belonging to your ancestors and convert them into museums? You are the descendants of the family that established this country. I would like our Prince to explain the situation to us. With my love my Sultan. (Instagram: Arzu from Istanbul) 

Kanunen tüm padişahlara ait mülkler devlete devir edildi. Zaten Osmanlı devletinde de sabık padişahın sarayları ve içindekiler çocuklarına değil bir sonraki padişaha devir edilirdi. Yani hiçbir zaman şahsi malları değildi.

Topkapı Palace
Topkapı Palace: now a museum

Şehzadeler Avrupa’dakiler gibi zengin değillerdi. Ancak bir konakları, atları ve arabaları vardı. Sultanlar ise, daha zengin idiler çünkü yalıları ve mücevherleri vardı. İstanbul dışında hanedanın hiçbir varlıkları olmamıştır. Ayrıca diğer hanedanlar ve rejim liderleri gibi başka ülkelerde mal varlıkları yok idi.

By law, all properties belonging to the Sultans were transferred to the state. It was the custom of the Ottoman state that a former Sultan’s offical palaces and their contents were always passed to the next Sultan, and not to his own children. As such, they were not personal property. The official residences of the Ottoman Sultans belonged to the state.

Dolmabahçe Palace
Dolmabahçe Palace: now a museum

Ottoman princes did not accumulate great wealth and were not as rich as those in Europe. However, they did generally own a mansion, a horse and a carriage. Ottoman princesses, on the other hand, were far richer than the princes because they not only owned mansions on the Bosphorus, but they had valuable collections of jewels. Members of the dynasty had no foreign assets and did not own any property outside Istanbul.

6. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu Devam etseydi Osman Selehaddin Osmanoğlu efendi Padişah olsa idi ‘İlk İcratı’ Ne Olurdu? Sevgilerimle Sultanım. (Instagram: Nedim, Ankara’dan)

6. If the Ottoman Empire had continued, and Osman Selehaddin Efendi had become Sultan, what would his ‘First Act in Office’ be? With my love, my Sultan. (Nedim from Ankara)

Osman Selahaddin Efendi
Şehzade Osman Selahaddin Efendi

Her bölgede meclise seçilen mebusların millet tarafından demokratik bir şekilde seçilmesini sağlamak. Bu şekilde, seçilen kişilerin her biri hakikaten “Milletin Vekili” olurlar.  Aksi taktirde, geçmişte olduğu gibi vekiller partileri tarafından seçilirlerse, o zaman milletin değil, “Partinin Vekili” oluyorlar. Maksat asıl partilerinden fazla, onlara oylarını veren seçmenlerine karşı mesuliyetleri olmalıdır. 

To ensure that the MPs elected by each region to Parliament are elected democratically by the nation. In this way, each elected person truly becomes the “Deputy of the Nation”. If the deputies are elected by their party, as in the past, then they become “Deputies of the Party”, not of the nation. The intention should be for MPs to be more accountable to the voters who voted them into office rather than to their parties.

7. Parti kurmayı veya siyasete girmeyi düşündü mü? Osmanlı ailesinden biri bunu yapmalı mı? (Instagram: Hamza, Van’dan)

7. Have you thought of establishing a political party or entering politics. Should a member of the Ottoman family do such a thing? (Instagram: Hamza from Van)

Herhangi bir hanedan azasının politikaya bulaşmasını katiyen doğru bulmuyorum. Tüm Avrupa Hanedanları gibi Osmanlı hanedan mensupları bitaraf olmalıdırlar. Aksi taktirde milletin bir kısmına karşı tavır almış olurlar.

I do not think that it is appropriate for members of the Ottoman dynasty to be involved in Turkish politics. Like all European Dynasties, members of the Ottoman dynasty must be neutral. Otherwise, they will be standing against a sector of the nation, whereas their role is to unite.

8. Eğer Hanedan devam etseydi ve tahta çıksaydı resmi adı ne olurdu? Şimdiki Hanedan Reisi Harun Osman Efendi VI. Osman sayılırsa babanız VII. Osman mi olacaktı? (Dündar Efendi ve Harun Efendi’in adıları) regnal name konusunda sizin önerileriniz neler? (Instagram: Ali, Özbekistan’dan)

8. If the Dynasty had continued and if Harun Efendi, the current head of the Ottoman family, had ascended to the throne, what would his regnal name be? What would be your suggestion for the regnal names of Prince Dündar Efendi and his brother Prince Harun Efendi? (Instagram: Ali from Uzbekistan)

Sultan Abdülmecid
Sultan Abdülmecid

Sultan II Mahmud devrine kadar şehzadelerin bir tek isimleri olmuştur. Kendisi de şehzadelerine tek isim vermiştir: Oğulları Abdülmecid ve Abdülaziz padişah oldular ve tek isim taşıdılar. Sultan Abdülmecid 1840 da bu kuralı değiştirdi ve büyük oğluna iki isim taktı : Mehmed Murad. Bu tarihden itibaren şehzadelerin büyük çoğunluğuna iki isim verilmiştir. 36 padişahın sadece üç tanesinin iki ismi olmuştur. Tahta çıktıkları vakit, o padişahlar kendileri hangi isimle bilinmek istediklerini seçtiler. Zaten üçünün de ilk isimleri Mehmed idi – Mehmed Murad, Mehmed Reşad and Mehmed Vahideddin. Hanedan reislerine gelince, aynı şekilde karar kendilerine kalmıştır, mamafih saltanat lağvedildikten sonra bu konu fazla ciddiye alınmamıştır. Sürgüne giden şehzadelrin arasında sadece iki tanesinin tek ismi vardı.    

Sultan Murad V
Sultan Murad V

Until the reign of Sultan Mahmud II, Ottoman princes had only one name. Sultan Mahmud also gave a single name to his sons Abdülmecid and Abdülaziz who both became Sultans. Sultan Abdülmecid changed this custom in 1840 when he named his eldest son Mehmed Murad. Since this date, two names have generally been given to the imperial princes. Only three of the 36 sultans had two names. When they came to the throne, those three Sultans chose the name that they wanted to be known by. The first name of all three of these Sultans was Mehmed – Mehmed Murad, Mehmed Reşad and Mehmed Vahideddin. As to the question, the regnal name of each Head of the Dynasty is a personal matter for them to decide. Murad V selected his second name whereas his brothers selected their first name. However, after the sultanate was abolished, this issue has not been taken seriously. Interestingly, only two of the princes who went into exile had one name. 

9. Türk gençlerine tavsiyeleri nelerdir? (Instagram: isimsiz)

9. What advice can you give to young Turks? (Instagram: anon)

Açık fikirli olmak. Türk eğitim sistemi, genişlemesini teşvik etmekten çok öğrencilerin vizyonunu sınırlamaktadır. Eğitim sistemi, sorulan sorulara ezberleyerek ve tek başına basit bir yanıt seçerek ulaşılan doğru ve yanlış / siyah beyaz bir cevabı aşılamak yerine öğrenciyi düşünmeye ve dengeli bir bakış açısı geliştirmeye teşvik etmelidir.

To be open minded. The Turkish education system limits the vision of the students rather than encourage its expansion. The education system should encourage the student to think and to come up with a balanced view rather than to instil a right and wrong / black and white answer which is arrived at by memorising and selecting a solitary simplistic response to the questions posed. 

10. a. Yayınlanan diziler ya da fimler hakkında ne düşünüyorlar? Sizce gerçeği yansıtıyorlar mi? (Instagram: Batın, İstanbul’dan)

b. Tv de yayınlanan diziler izledimi izlediyse diziler hakında ne düşünüyor? (Instagram: Deniz, Batman’dan)

10. a. What do you think about the historical TV series and films being broadcast on Turkish television? Do you think they reflect the truth? (Instagram: Batın from Istanbul)

b. Has he watched the TV series (we assume the question refers to the series that are being aired about the Ottomans), and if so what does he think about it? (Instagram: Deniz from Batman)

Ertuğrul Gazi ve Osman Gazi dizilerini takib etmişimdir. O zamanın tarihi zaten çok kat’i temellere dayanmıyor. 

I have followed the Ertuğrul Gazi and Osman Gazi series. The history of that time is vague and not based on very solid foundations which allows artistic license.

Payitaht dizisi ise muhtelif önemsiz olayların etrafında kurgulanmış. Zamanın tarihi olaylarından adeta bahsedilmiyor. Sultan II. Abdülhamid devrinde, 1878 ve 1899 yılları arasında, aşağıda kayıt ettiğim muazzam toprak kayıpları sanki hiç yaşanmamış!

Mustakil olanlar – Romanya, Bulgaristan, Sırbistan, Karadağ, Kuveyt, Girit (sonra Yunanistan)

Birleşik Kraliyet’e bağlananlar – Kıbrıs, Mısır, Somali.

Rusya’ya bağlananlar – Ardahan, Batum, Kars, Doğu Bayezid. 

Avusturya Macaristan’a bağlananlar – Bosna, Hersek.

Fransa’ya bağlananlar – Tunus  

Yunanistan’a bağlananlar – Teselya

İtalya’ya bağlananlar – Habeşistan 

The Payitaht series, on the other hand, is highly fictionalised around various insignificant events. There is hardly any mention of the more important historical events of the time. For example, during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II between 1878 and 1899 in particular, we suffered enormous territorial losses, which I have recorded below, but which seem to have never happened if you believe the TV series!

Ceded to new states – Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Kuwait, Crete (later Greece)

Ceded to the United Kingdom – Cyprus, Egypt, Somalia.

Ceded to Russia – Ardahan, Batumi, Kars, East Bayezid.

Ceded to Austro-Hungary – Bosnia, Herzegovina.

Ceded to France – Tunisia

Ceded to Greece – Thessaly

Ceded to Italy – Abyssinia

Mamafih saraydaki aile hayatlarında pek çok ciddi hatalar var. Aralarından beş tanesi şunlardır:

a) – Padişah zevcelerine hiçbir zaman Sultanım denmez çünkü Sultan değildirler. Onlara Kadınefendi veya Hanımefendi denir. Ancak oğulları padişah olursa ve o zaman hala hayatta iseler, Valide Sultan olurlar.

b) Sultan Hamid’in Haremini 19 sene boyunca (1876’ dan 1895 e kadar) yöneten Nazikeda Başkadınefendisidir. Dizide ondan hiç bahis edilmemesi çok garip.

c) – Sultan II Abdülhamid’in 13 tane zevcesi olmuştur (9 kadın ve 4 ikbal) ama aynı zamanda değil. Dizide dördüncü Kadınefendi Bidar baş rol oynuyor. Son zamanlarda en son ve 13. Kadın Saliha Naciye dizide. Aradaki 8 kadından bahis yok ? Zaten her zaman birkaç kadın sarayda bulunur. Boşanmak çok nadirdir.

d) – Aliye Sultan son zamanlarda dizide yer alıyor. Dizide pederi sabık padişah Sultan V Murad 1904 de vefat ettiğinden sonra yer alıyor! Halbuki Aliye Sultan 1903 yılında, pederi Sultan Murad’dan bir sene önce, 23 yaşında vefat etmişti, 

e) – Naime Sultan’ın iki çocuğu var – oğlu Cahid (1899-1977) ve kızı Adile (1900-1979). Dizi yirminci asırın başlangıcındaki vakaları anlatıyor ama Naime sanki anne olmamış gibi gösteriliyor.

In addition, there are many serious mistakes that have been made regarding family life in the palace. Five of these are:

a) – The wives of the Sultan are never called ‘My Sultan’ because they are not a sultan ie an Imperial Princess. They are called Kadınefendi or Hanımefendi. However, if their sons one day becomes the Sultan they have the title ‘Valide Sultan’.

b) Nazikeda Başkadınefendi, who ruled Sultan Abdülhamid’s Harem for 19 years (from 1876 to 1895), is barely mentioned in the series.

c) – Sultan Abdulhamid II had 13 wives (9 kadinefendis and 4 ikbals), although not at the same time. The fourth Kadinefendi, the Lady Bidar plays the leading role in the series. And more recently, his last wife the Lady Saliha Naciye, has also appeared in the series. But where is the mention of the other 8 women in between? Divorce is very rare in the Ottoman dynasty, so there were many women living in the harem at the same time.

d) – Aliye Sultan has been in the series recently. These scenes are set after the death of her father the former sultan, Sultan Murad V, in August 1904. However, Aliye Sultan died aged 23 in September 1903, nearly one year before her father Sultan Murad!

e) – Naime Sultan has two children – a son Cahid (1899-1977) and a daughter Adile (1900-1979). The series depicts events at the beginning of the twentieth century, but does not portray Naime as a mother.

Filed Under: Guest Posts

Guest Post by my Father: Osman Selahaddin Efendi

February 28, 2020 by Ayşe Osmanoğlu

When I first set up this Blog, I asked my father if he would like to read the posts I had written. “What is a Blog?” he asked! After a lengthy explanation, I am certain that he still doesn’t quite understand! However, despite this small hurdle, I invited him to be my first guest contributor… And, he happily agreed.

Post by Şehzade Osman Selahaddin Efendi

Türkçe

İlk blog yazımı kızım Ayşe Gülnev’in blog sayfası münasebetiyle yazmaktan pek memnun oldum. Kendisinin 20. asrın bidayetinde Çırağan Sarayı’nda geçen tarihi vakalarla müteşekkil bir tarihi roman yazma teşebbüsünden dolayı çok gurur duyuyorum. Bunu beş tane çocuğuna bakarken başarması takdire şayandır.

Tarih mezunu olması ve masters çalışmasını Osmanlı Tarihi üzerinde tekâmül edip, istifade etmesinden ayrıca gurur duyuyorum. Hem de kendisi istisnai olarak kitabının baş rollerinde olan şahısların, Boğaz kıyısında Çırağan Sarayı’nda tevellütlü büyükbabası ve Dolmabahçe Sarayı’nda doğan büyükannesinden ilk ağızdan duyması, kitapta mühim bir rol oynamıştır. 

Kızımı “Boğaz’da Yaldızlı Kafes” kitabını yayınlanması için teşvik ettim ve ümit ederim ki yayınlama kararına varır.

Eminim ki geniş ailemiz bu kitabı okumaktan zevk alır ve müşterek ecdadımızla kendilerini daha yakın hissederler. Bu roman onların hayatlarına bir pencere olacaktır. Benim bulduğum gibi, genel okuyucunun da bu bakışı aydınlatıcı ve duygulandırıcı bulacağını temenni ederim. 

İngilizce

It gives me great pleasure to write my first blog post as a contribution to my daughter Ayşe Gülnev’s blog. I am extremely proud of her for having undertaken the task of writing a book full of historical facts about life in the Çırağan Palace at the start of the 20th century. It is particularly commendable in view of the fact that she has done so whilst also looking after her five children.

I am also delighted that she is making constructive use of her education. In particular of her History and Politics degree and her Masters degree which specialised in Ottoman History. She has interestingly had the unique opportunity of hearing first-hand accounts of many of the characters who play a major role in the book from her Grandfather, who was born in the Çırağan Palace, and from her grandmother, who was born in Dolmabahçe Palace. 

I have encouraged my daughter to publish her book, ‘The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus’ and hope that she decides to do so. 

I am sure that members of our extended family will enjoy it and feel more connected with our shared ancestors. In many ways, the book is a window into their lives. A glimpse that I found both informative and deeply moving, as I trust the general reader will likewise do so. 

Çırağan Palace
Osman Selahaddin Efendi
Ayşe Gülnev Sultan
With my father, Prince Osman Selahaddin Efendi, on the steps of the Çırağan Palace
Babam, Şehzade Osman Selahaddin Efendi ile Çırağan Sarayı’nda

Thank you, Babacım

Without my father’s constant love, support and encouragement, I really do not think that I would have ever finished writing my book, ‘The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus’. He has been extremely generous with both his time and his advice, never tiring when I turned to him with a question. His help and his knowledge have been invaluable. And now he is the driving force pushing me to publish my work so that the story of Sultan Murad V and his family can finally be told. And, because I think he would also love to see my book sitting on his bookshelf in the study of his home in Beylerbey, in İstanbul…

With his 80th birthday fast approaching, I have found the last bit of motivation that I needed. To publish or not to publish, that was the question. Everyone who read my posts and sent me encouraging messages over the last couple of months have also helped me reach this decision, and for that I thank you all. The answer is now clear – the book will be published! Firstly in English and, İnşallah, followed soon after by a Turkish edition. After all, what daughter does not strive to make their father proud of them? What daughter does not want to make their father happy? Babacım, I am doing this for you; for Dede, and for Nine too…

Filed Under: Guest Posts

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A farewell to imperial istanbul

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I hope you found the blogs interesting and have enjoyed learning a little more about Sultan Murad V and his family. Perhaps you may even be tempted to read one of the books in the Ottoman Dynasty Chronicles Series!

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