Biyografi Dünyası
The seat of power: Abdulhamid (Payitaht Abdülhamid)

The seat of power: Abdulhamid (Payitaht Abdülhamid)

TV Series · 2017–2021 · 44 people

TRT 1 began airing Payitaht Abdülhamid, a Turkish historical drama with an action edge, on February 24, 2017. Known in English as The Last Emperor, it follows the reign of Abdülhamid II, the 34th Ottoman sultan, and his bid to rule from the capital. The show lasted five seasons and ended on June 4, 2021, with its 154th episode.

The story spans the last thirteen years of the reign, 1896 to 1909. While dealing with the Greco-Turkish War, land demands from Palestine and the First Zionist Congress, the sultan also pushes through the Hejaz Railway and telegraph lines. Enemies range from Britain and Russia to palace insiders, and the central theme is the fight to the end. Bülent İnal plays Abdülhamid, with Özlem Conker as Bidar Kadın Efendi, Can Sipahi as Prince Abdülkadir, Saygın Soysal as Theodor Herzl and Berkan Şal as Hiram, the Vatican envoy.

Serdar Akar directed, Es Film produced, and Uğur Uzunok, Ayça Mutlugil and Hamza Akyıldız wrote the scripts. The series has been seen as a follow-up to the earlier Filinta. It has also been a lightning rod for controversy at home and abroad: critics accuse it of bending history, making room for antisemitic and anti-Armenian conspiracy theories and serving government propaganda.

DirectorSerdar Akar
Production companyEs Film
NetworkTRT 1
The seat of power: Abdulhamid (Payitaht Abdülhamid)

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Cast

Bahadır Yenişehirlioğlu Bahadır Yenişehirlioğlu Actor · 64 years old Tahsin Pasha Berkan Şal Berkan Şal Actor · 57 years old Hiram Bülent İnal Bülent İnal Actor · 53 years old Abdülhamid Can Sipahi Can Sipahi Actor · 38 years old Şehzade Abdülkadir Duygu Gürcan Duygu Gürcan Actor · 37 years old Naime Sultan Elif Özkul Elif Özkul Actor · 38 years old Fehime Sultan Ezgi Eyüboğlu Ezgi Eyüboğlu Actor · 38 years old Melike Ahsen Gözde Kaya Gözde Kaya Actor · 38 years old Hatice Sultan Hakan Boyav Hakan Boyav Actor · 62 years old Mahmud Pasha Kaan Turgut Kaan Turgut Actor · 41 years old Prince Sabahattin Saygın Soysal Saygın Soysal Actor · 44 years old Theodor Herzl Selen Öztürk Selen Öztürk Actor · 46 years old Seniha Sultan Ufuk Kaplan Ufuk Kaplan Actor · 54 years old Ester Umut Kurt Umut Kurt Actor · 45 years old Kolağası Celal Özlem Conker Özlem Conker Actor · 53 years old Consort Bidar İbrahim Kendirci İbrahim Kendirci Actor · 40 years old Yusuf Erkan Avcı Erkan Avcı Actor · 43 years old Fehim Pasha Gürkan Uygun Gürkan Uygun Actor · 52 years old Halil Halid Başak Daşman Başak Daşman Actor · 45 years old Şivenaz Hatun Cemre Baysel Cemre Baysel Actor · 27 years old Firuze Ekin Mert Daymaz Ekin Mert Daymaz Actor · 35 years old Hakan Yufkacıgil Hakan Yufkacıgil Actor · 46 years old Mısır Hidivi Fuat İlker Kızmaz İlker Kızmaz Actor · 51 years old Kemal Uçar Kemal Uçar Actor · 41 years old Şehzade Ahmet Nuri Efendi Leya Kırşan Leya Kırşan Actor · 18 years old Şadiye Sultan Sedef Avcı Sedef Avcı Actor · 44 years old Nurse Zeynep Songül Öden Songül Öden Actor · 47 years old Devrim Yakut Devrim Yakut Actor · 58 years old Cemile Sultan Kevork Malikyan Kevork Malikyan Actor · 83 years old Aleksandr İsrail Parvus Vildan Atasever Vildan Atasever Actor · 45 years old Saliha Sultan Mehmet Bozdoğan Mehmet Bozdoğan Actor · 49 years old Mehmed Pasha Güven Kıraç Güven Kıraç Actor · 66 years old Uncle Vambery Akın Akınözü Akın Akınözü Actor · 36 years old Ömer Cansu Fırıncı Cansu Fırıncı Actor · 44 years old Izak Fernandez Zeynep Özder Zeynep Özder Actor · 46 years old Fatma Pesend Hanım Nur Fettahoğlu Nur Fettahoğlu Actor · 46 years old Abhaz Prensesi Gülsim Ali Gülsim Ali Actor · 31 years old Gülcemal Ece İrtem Ece İrtem Actor · died at 35 Robina Fain Suavi Eren Suavi Eren Actor · 77 years old Edmond Rothschild Alp Akar Alp Akar Actor · 20 years old Şehzade Nureddin Yılmaz Meydaneri Yılmaz Meydaneri Actor · 67 years old Grand Vizier Ferit Pasha Sermet Yeşil Sermet Yeşil Actor · 49 years old Zalman David Levontin Esra Kılıç Esra Kılıç Actor · 35 years old Nusret Çetinel Nusret Çetinel Actor · died at 69

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Through different eyes

AI-assisted editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives. They are not reader reviews; those are below.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

The series covers the last thirteen years of Abdul Hamid II's reign, 1896 to 1909: the Greco-Ottoman War, land claims over Palestine, the First Zionist Congress, the Hejaz Railway and the telegraph lines. These are all part of real history, but the series frames them around foreign enemies and betrayal inside the palace. Critics accused it of distorting history, of making room for anti-Jewish and anti-Armenian conspiracy theories, and of serving government propaganda. So while watching, it is wise to consult sources and keep the drama apart from the history. The controversy itself is also a reminder that the same events can be told in different ways.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Directed by Serdar Akar, the series is seen as a continuation of Filinta and blends historical drama with action. Bülent İnal's Abdul Hamid stands at the center of the production. The real problem is the structure of the telling: a scheme of foreign enemies and traitors within the palace lends itself to reducing a complex era to hero against villain. The critics' charges of distorting history and propaganda are tied to these choices of design. A production being gripping is one thing, presenting its period in balance is another, and here the second is contested. What makes a series contested is sometimes not its subject but the language in which it frames that subject, and here the argument knots up at exactly that point.

Series Binger A series devotee tracking character arcs, cast chemistry and season pacing.

Five seasons and 154 episodes around a single sultan ask for real commitment. Bülent İnal's Abdul Hamid, Özlem Conker's Bidar Kadın Efendi, Can Sipahi's Prince Abdülkadir and Berkan Sal's Hiram make the ensemble colorful. The thread of foreign enemies and traitors inside the palace is the series' main theme, and since that struggle runs to the very end, the pattern of intrigue can feel repetitive in some episodes. On top of that come the accusations of distorting history, which is worth keeping in mind while you enjoy it.

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