Death and Life in the Ottoman Palace

This book reveals multiple aspects of life in the Ottoman palace, in both its public space and private space. 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 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. It 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. It reveals intriguing stories - from that of Sultan Abdulhamid's daughter Zeyneb, born 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.