The
Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus
is the book that I always dreamed of writing. Ever since I was a
little girl… Initially
I did not intend to publish – it was written to encourage my
children’s interest and sense of pride in their heritage, and to
teach them forgotten customs and traditions. I wanted to record
stories and memories that my grandfather shared with me of his unique
life before they are lost forever, and I also hoped to discover more
about the characters and personalities hidden behind faded family
photographs… Then one day my father persuaded me that others might
enjoy this personal story set during the twilight years of the
Ottoman Empire, so it was published and today celebrates its first
birthday!
The
mystical splendour of the Orient has long fascinated the West, while
misconceptions and false depictions of life in a harem, and of the
eunuchs who serve inside, continue to intrigue. With this in mind, I
thought that I would share this short passage describing a scene
where one of my Great Aunt’s harem eunuchs is tasked with carrying
out a rather unusual errand:
Passers-by
glanced with curiosity at the tall, handsome Nubian eunuch walking
briskly along the Grande Rue de Péra dressed in a thick black
stambouline jacket and a warm woollen coat against the cold. Though
the stares were unwelcome, he was accustomed to them: eunuchs from
the Imperial households always attracted attention in the streets of
İstanbul. His cherry-red fez was tilted slightly towards his left
ear, and as he strode purposefully in the direction of Galatasaray,
the black silk tassel that hung down to the nape of his neck swung
gracefully to and fro like the pendulum of a grandfather clock.
In
obedience to the instructions he had been given, he had taken the
horse-drawn tram that plied between Ortaköy and Galata. Since it was
such a beautiful day, he had decided to walk along the famous
boulevard in the crisp winter sunshine: accordingly, he had got off a
few stops earlier than he otherwise would have done.
Fashionably-dressed ladies and gentlemen were making their way to the
elegant hotels and restaurants or browsing in the windows of the
expensive shops looking for something decadent to buy, and the sight
of them gave him great pleasure. He walked past the towering iron
gates of the Galatasaray Imperial High School, marvelling at the way
the sun’s rays danced off their ornate gilded decorations, then
round a slight bend in the road and on past the Dutch Embassy. Now he
took out the neatly-folded piece of paper on which he had written the
address – surely it could not be much further. Shortly afterwards,
he spotted the huge gold letters spelling out the words ‘Sébah &
Joaillier’ on the building that stood next to the Russian Embassy,
which was easily identified by the double-headed eagle standing guard
above the entrance. He slipped into the shadow cast by the red and
white awning that veiled the shop’s frontage, and disappeared
inside.
Brothers
bound by blood but fated to be enemies. Can their Empire survive or
will it crumble into myth?
Istanbul, 1903.
Since
his younger brother usurped the Imperial throne, Sultan
Murad V has
been imprisoned with his family for nearly thirty years.
The
new century heralds immense change. Anarchy and revolution threaten
the established order. Powerful enemies plot the fall of the once
mighty Ottoman Empire. Only death will bring freedom to the
enlightened former sultan. But the waters of the Bosphorus run deep:
assassins lurk in shadows, intrigue abounds, and scandal in the
family threatens to bring destruction of all that he holds dear…
For
over six hundred years the history of the Turks and their vast and
powerful Empire has been inextricably linked to the Ottoman dynasty.
Can this extraordinary family, and the Empire they built, survive
into the new century?
Set
against the magnificent backdrop of Imperial Istanbul, The
Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus is
a spellbinding tale of love, duty and sacrifice.
Evocative
and utterly beguiling, The
Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus is
perfect for fans of Colin Falconer, Kate Morton and Philippa Gregory.
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Ayşe Osmanoğlu is a member of the Imperial Ottoman
family, being descended from Sultan Murad V through her grandfather
and from Sultan Mehmed V (Mehmed Reşad) through her grandmother.
After reading History and Politics at the University of Exeter, she
then obtained an M.A. in Turkish Studies at SOAS, University of
London, specialising in Ottoman History. She lives in the UK with her
husband and five children.
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