Death and Life in the Ottoman Palace: Revelations of the Sultan Abdulhamid I Tomb

The book explores the Sultan Abd lhamid I Tomb in Istanbul, revealing the lives of the 86 people buried there, including royalty, courtiers, eunuchs, concubines, and female harem managers. It sheds light on Ottoman palace life and culture in an era of modern Ottoman history, including the reforms forcibly introduced by Sultan Mahmud II.

Format: Hardback
Length: 330 pages
Publication date: 31 January 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Delves into a royal tomb in order to expand our understanding of Ottoman palace culture

Presents the first book to explore the Sultan Abd lhamid I Tomb in Istanbul, also known as the Hamidiye Tomb Complex

Unveils the lives of the 86 men, women, and children of the Ottoman palace buried there

Draws on a range of primary sources translated from Ottoman Turkish for the first time, from archival documents and contemporary chronicles to epitaphs

Interprets for readers the wide range of Ottoman art, architecture, language, poetry, and cultural customs encountered at this tomb complex

Provides an overview of the Islamic calendar system, the Ottoman culture of death and funerals, the Ottoman attitude toward smallpox vaccination, and titles at court

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 Abd lhamid 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 .

Weight: 650g
Dimension: 240 x 161 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399510424