Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul (International Library of Historical Studies)

"This is the story of the House of Osman, the imperial dynasty that ruled the Ottoman Empire for more than seven centuries, an empire that once stretched from central Europe to North Africa and from Persia to the Adriatic. The capital of this empire was Istanbul, ancient Byzantium, a city that stands astride Europe and Asia on the Bosphorus. And it was in the great palace of Topkapi Sarayi that the sultans of this empire ruled. Inside the Seraglio a classic of Ottoman history takes us behind the gilded doors of the Topkapi and into the heart of the palace: the harem, where the sultan would surround himself with his wives, concubines, eunuchs, pages, dwarfs and mutes and where all the tempestuous events of empire were so often played out. This is the history of a remarkable palace in all its colour and opulence and the story of its influence on a great empire."--Publisher's description Front Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Introduction Acknowledgement Preface Turkish Spelling and Pronunciation Maps 1. The House of Osman 2. Mehmet the Conqueror 3. The House of Felicity 4. Süleyman the Magnificent 5. The Sultanate of Women 6. An Organ for the Sultan 7. Regicide 8. The Procession of the Guilds 9. Three Mad Sultans 10. The Hunter Caged 11. A Cage for Princes 12. Tulip Time 13. Murder in the Music Room 14. The Auspicious Event 15. On the Shores of the Bosphorus 16. The Year of the Three Sultans 17. Imprisoned Sultans 18. The Fall of the House of Osman 19. The Gathering Place of the Jinns Glossary Ottoman Sultans (The House of Osman) Genealogy of the Sultans Mothers of the Sultans Bibliography Full of detail and anecdotes, this book tells the intimate story of the Osmanli dynasty who ruled over the Ottoman Empire for more than 600 years. The book follows each sultan in turn, describing their family life inside Topkapi Sarayi, their women and children, their eunuchs and all the people who served, intrigued, amused or murdered them. The classic story of the opulent Ottoman palace, with a new introduction by the author