To publish, or not to publish, that is the question…

The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus

The Ottomans : The Story of a Family

My children are astounded, and quite frankly I have to admit that am I too!

I never imagined that I would be capable of building a web page. Let alone consider embarking upon the challenge of setting up a personal blog! If I can get to this stage, then really anyone can! The invaluable video tutorial that I watched on youtube, to guide me through the many intricate steps, said that it would take half an hour. This turned out to be ever so slightly optimistic! It was five hours before I pressed the ‘publish’ button, but at least I finally got there!

So here I am, cautiously and warily dipping my toes in the hitherto unchartered waters of modern day technology and social media, writing my first ever blog post!

So what has driven me to take such a giant leap?

I am so far out of my comfort zone! The simple fact is that I have written a book, based on the Imperial Ottoman family. Its working title is: ‘The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus’. It is an historical account of the tragic story of Sultan Murad V and his descendants. Murad V ruled the Ottoman Empire in 1876 before being deposed by his younger brother, Sultan Abdülhamid. He was then held in enforced confinement in the Çırağan Palace, together with his family, for 28 years. The story begins in October 1903, with the birth of my grandfather, Prince Ali Vâsıb, and ends in December 1905 . It is a tale of a family – their joys and sorrows, their secret hopes and fears and their private trials and tribulations as they struggle to adapt to a world that is rapidly changing around them. 

Çırağan Palace – home to Sultan Murad V and his family

I feel honoured to be a member of the Ottoman family and was inspired by a desire to keep my ancestors’ memory alive. I also wanted to light a spark of interest and pride in their Ottoman heritage within the hearts of my children. Initially I intended the book to be read only by my children and members of my extended family. However, it has since been suggested that I should publish the story so that the intimate lives of those who lived in the long forgotten world of the Imperial Ottoman Court, during the twilight years of the Ottoman Empire, can be rediscovered.

Hence the blog… Its aim is to help me decide… To publish, or not to publish, that is the question…