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This book reveals multiple aspects of life in the Ottoman palace, in both its public space (the chancery) and private space (the royal household and the harem). It does so by exploring the Sultan Abdülhamid I Tomb in Istanbul, investigating the paths that open to us through the graves of the royalty in the mausoleum and those of the courtiers, eunuchs, concubines and female harem managers in the garden graveyard around it. The treasure of information at this graveyard allows us to piece together a wide spectrum of details that illuminate the court funerary culture of the era, from architecture and calligraphy to funerals and epitaphs to turbans and fezzes and poetry, as we come to an understanding of the role of royal cemeteries in strengthening the bonds between the reigning House and the populace and enhancing the legitimacy of the dynasty's rule.The book first introduces the tomb complex to the reader, interpreting its architecture, art and poetry, before exploring the lives and careers of 65 of the 86 people interred here between the first burial, in 1780, and the last, in 1863. Along the way, it reveals intriguing stories - from that of Sultan Abdulhamid's daughter Zeyneb, born (against the dynasty's rules) when he was a prince and raised in secrecy outside the palace until he came to the throne, to that of Prince Murad, exhumed and reburied late one night in 1812. By exploring the history revealed through these life stories, the book sheds light on Ottoman palace life and culture in an era that witnessed the most wrenching changes of modern Ottoman history seen until then - the reforms forcibly introduced by Sultan Mahmud II after 1826 - and uncovers manifestations of these changes in this graveyard.
About the author
Douglas Scott Brookes teaches Ottoman Turkish language in the Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures Department at the University of California, Berkeley. He has also taught courses at Berkeley in Ottoman history and culture. His research interests include the culture of the Ottoman Imperial Family in general and the harem system in particular. He has led numerous educational tours through Turkey, including for the Berkeley Alumni Association. He is the author of On the Sultan's Service (Indiana University, 2019), Harem Ghosts (Markus Wiener, 2016), The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher (University of Texas, 2008), and The Ottoman Gentleman of the Sixteenth Century (Harvard NELC, 2003).
Summary
Delves into a royal tomb in order to expand our understanding of Ottoman palace culture
