Payitaht: Abdülhamid

Payitaht: Abdülhamid
Also known as	The Last Emperor The Capital: Abdul Hamid
Based on	Abdul Hamid II
Written by	Osman Bodur Uğur Uzunok
Directed by	Serdar Akar [tr] Emre Konuk [tr] Doğan Ümit Karaca Şevki Es
Starring	Bülent İnal
Country of origin	Turkey
Original language	Turkish
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	154
Production
Producer	ES Film [tr]
Production location	Turkey
Running time	154 min.
Release
Original network	TRT 1 TRT HD
Picture format	576i (16:9 SDTV ) 1080i ( HDTV )
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	24 February 2017 (2017-02-24) – 4 June 2021 (2021-06-04)
External links
Website

Payitaht: Abdülhamid (lit. "The Capital: Abdul Hamid"), named The Last Emperor in English, is a Turkish historical drama series starring Bülent İnal and Özlem Conker depicting historical events set during the reign of the 34th Ottoman Sultan, Abdul Hamid II.^[1][2] The series gained support^{[clarification needed]} in Turkey, and support from the descendants of Abdul Hamid II Harun and Orhan Osmanoglu has been noted as a "follow-up" to the previous television series Filinta Mustafa.

Plot[]

The series follows important events that marked the last 13 years of the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid, who rules the Ottoman Empire from its capital city, known as payitaht. His reign includes a war that resulted in the victory of the Ottoman Empire, the Greek War. It also shows the request for lands from Palestine and 1st Zionist Congress. An important project that the Sultan succeeded is the work of Hejaz railway, in addition to developing other railways, telegraph lines, and industries. Throughout his time, the Sultan faces many opposers from all sides, from Britain and Russia to even those supposedly loyal to him. The main theme of the series is struggle and fight till the end.

Season 1[]

The series starts during the 20th year of the Sultan's reign. They are planning a big project, the Hejaz Railway. However, the Sultan's brother-in-law, Mahmud Pasha, the British, and Theodor Herzl are trying to sabotage this project. In the harem, on the other hand, a strong rivalry between Bidar Sultan and Seniha Sultan extends to their family. Also, the Sultan's brother Murad's daughters come to the palace. His eldest daughter, Hatice Sultan, falls in love with Kemalettin Pasha and plans to marry him while on the other hand Naime Sultan, the Sultan's daughter, also is in love with Kemalettin and tries to win his heart, eventually getting ill. Hatice Sultan with her love for Naime pretends that Kemalettin loves Naime by giving a Naime a letter which Kemalettin had written to Hatice. Mahmud Pasha, Seniha Sultan's husband, piles slander upon slander on Mehmed Pasha, Bidar Sultan's brother, eventually getting him exiled. Abdülkadir, the Sultan's son, is consistently manipulated by Mahmud Pasha and his son Sabahattin, and while trying to ruin their game gets himself into a deeper mess, getting stuck in a burning room with his mother at the end of the season which was started by Esma, a traitor servant girl, at Sabahattin's order. The Kingdom of Greece attacks Ottoman territory, and the season ends with the Ottoman Empire declaring war on Greece.

Season 2[]

The new century begins. Sultan Abdülhamid changed the fortune of the Ottoman Empire, who had not been victorious in the last two centuries, and won the Greek War. The war that ended at the front continues at the table now. Parvus, the proclaimed vizier of the Global Monarchy, pretends to be an engineer and gets into the palace. The Sultan is preparing the state for a great war with his development moves and launches the oil move that starts wars for the new century after the railway move. While Parvus is struggling to end the Payitaht with agents spread all over Constantinople under the leadership of Marco, his right-hand man, Sultan Abdülhamid's extraordinary and successful nephew, Murad, fights with his team at the expense of their lives. Sultan Abdülhamid is unaware of the storms in his harem while fighting to protect Payitaht. Entering to avenge her mother, who was fired from the palace, Firuze helps the enemies in their war against the Ottoman Dynasty. She gets Abdülkadir to fall in love with her, and causes all the balances to turn upside down between Bidar Sultan and Seniha Sultan. At the end of the season, Bidar Sultan, who left the palace, has an accident and her carriage falls down a cliff, severely injuring her. Parvus, although in a cage, makes a plan to kill the entire palace; using a man named Mr. Crowly, he gets poison gas into the palace by using a new invention, the radiator, and poisons everyone during a ceremony. But at the end, Fehim Pasha, risking his life, shot Mr. Crowly, dying in the process.

Season 3[]

In the palace, the wounds of the last serious incident are tried to be healed, and the death of Fehim Pasha is mourned. Sultan Abdülhamid ensured Parvus was thrown into the dungeon in Britain. The partner of this plan, Crowly, is found where he is hiding in Egypt and punished by Halil Halid. Fuad Efendi, the son of a former Khedive of Egypt, comes to the Payitaht. Bidar Sultan cannot forget what has happened to her. Moreover, she cannot make anyone believe what she remembers about her accident, which is that it was deliberate and that she was kidnapped and taken to someone's house; everyone just calls it nightmares. Meanwhile, Şivenaz, fiancé of Fuad Efendi and daughter of Edmond Rothschild, comes to the palace and makes problems in the harem. The Young Turks become a true organization when Sabahattin goes to Paris and becomes a leader. Sultan Abdülhamid sends Zühtü Pasha, who everyone thinks is a traitor, to Paris as a spy. However, when he gets information that one of the Pashas actually is a spy, he calls the head of intelligence, Ahmed Celalettin Pasha, to find the traitor. Around the end of the season, Fuad Efendi's betrayal is uncovered and he is shot by Ahmed Pasha, while at the end of the season his fiancée Şivenaz gets killed by Şehzade Abdülkadir and the Young Turks start a revolution, attacking the palace. Tahsin Pasha, Mahmud Pasha, and Ahmed Pasha all get shot and the Sultan and his family are stuck inside the burning palace.

Season 4[]

The revolution was suppressed and the fire in the palace was extinguished. However, its consequences and destruction continue. Sultan Abdülhamid makes Veladet-i-Humayun celebrations to show that the Ottoman Empire was not destroyed and cannot be destroyed easily. The news of victory from Payitaht brings together the adversaries of Abdülhamid once again. During the celebration, Zuluflu Ismail Pasha is revealed to be the elder brother of Sultan Abdülhamid, surprising everyone including the enemies. Cemile Sultan, who came to Payitaht for Veladet-i-Humayun celebrations, manages to disturb everyone in the harem, causing Seniha Sultan to leave. Meanwhile, Zalman David Levontin comes to Payitaht disguised as Mr. Gustav, making secret moves against Sultan Abdülhamid. Zalman is eventually exposed and punished, so the Brits send William Hechler as an ambassador. A second railway project in Baghdad was established in addition to the Hejaz Railway, posing a threat to the British in terms of strategic location. Hechler openly becomes enemies with Sultan Abdülhamid, making many moves before being defeated and imprisoned. However, one of Hechler's men arranges an assassination for the Sultan and shoots at him with a sniper which injures Ahmed Pasha (not shown) and the season ends there.

Season 5[]

Season 5 begins with Ferid Pasha becoming the Grand Vizier. Sultan Abdülhamid's older brother Murad V passes away, leaving behind an heir that will take his place in the Freemasons, which he left in his will in the form of a composition. It is not long before the composition gets decoded by a man. Ahmed, İsmail and Selim Pasha were ordered to follow that man on a train to Thessaloniki, but he gets killed, raising suspicion on the three. Since a meeting for the Masons was held in Thessaloniki around that time, either one of them could have been the Mason Pasha. All three Pashas were questioned. İsmail and Ahmed Pasha called each other the traitor, and someone named Manyas confronts both of them with conflicting information about the other's supposed treachery. Manyas is also the one in contact with the real Mason Pasha and is associated with the Young Turks. After losing trust and being demoted from his rank, Ahmed Pasha secretly turns against Sultan Abdülhamid and sides with Manyas and an opposition leader, Ahmed Riza. Many people were suspected by the Sultan. A Grand Lodge of the Masons is established after the previous one at Thessaloniki, consisting of Karasu, Sabahattin, Fernandez, Selim Pasha and others. The Sultan's son Ahmed Nuri arrives to help defeat the Masons and the opposition. While Selim Pasha is seemingly discovered to be the Mason Pasha, he was instead being threatened by Mahmud Pasha to work on behalf of him. After a series of events Mahmud Pasha is forced to flee from the palace and takes refuge with the British embassy and the Masons. Mahmud Pasha moved to Paris but before moving tells the Sultan that he was actually a spy inside the Masons. He reveals that he joined the Masons to destroy them internally. He also reveals he is very sick. In Paris, Mahmud Pasha obtains information from his opposition son Sabahattin and Karasu. He sends this information to then palace to help destroy Mason's and keep the Empire safe. Mahmud Pasha then dies due to sickness. After a violent turn of events Abdülhamid restores the constitutional monarchy and dismisses Tahsin Pasha from duty.

The series then skips many years into the future. It is revealed that Tahsin Pasha was dismissed and given a secret duty to document all the events that took place in the Reign of the Sultan Abdülhamid. Tahsin Pasha then tells a journalist the many events that took place during the Sultan's reign. It is revealed that Sogutlu Osman died in the line of duty for the State. A brief encounter also occurred between the dethroned Abdülhamid and Talaat Pasha, who was then a prominent figure of the government. It is told that they spoke about the reasons for Ottomans Joining WW1, and also about certain fortifications made by the Sultan to prevent European entry into the capital. It is mutually known to both that the Ottoman Empire was about to collapse. The funeral of Abdülhamid is also shown.

The season and series ends with Sultan Abdülhamid's dream of walking down a long hall seeing the great pervious Ottoman rulers. The rulers shown were Suleiyman the Lawgiver, Selim the Stern, Mehmed the Conqueror, and finally, Osman Gazi. Each ruler gives a short message to Abdülhamid. The final scene shows Abdülhamid standing in front of a painting of himself in the hall.

Cast and characters[]

Season 1[]

Character	Played By	Appearance In Episodes	Description
Sultan Abdülhamit II	Bülent İnal	1-154	Sultan Abdülhamid is the titular character, and is the last Sultan to hold executive powers in Ottoman Empire. Sultan Abdülhamid is a seasoned politician and statesman. He is trying to preserve the Empire from external as well as internal threats. He survives many assassination attempts. Supporters call him "Ulu Hakan" or the "Great Khagan" whereas opponents call him "Kızıl Sultan" or the "Red Sultan". As the Caliph of Islam, Abdülhamid wants to modernize and industrialize the empire while retaining Islamic and cultural values. His dream project is Hejaz railway to connect Muslim world from Sarajevo to Baghdad to the Holiest sites in Islam. He is shown to be the de facto head of the secret police and intelligence services of the Empire. He uses surperior intelligence and political science to fight against many plots made against him by the opposition. In season 5 Sultan Abdülhamid restores the constituonal monarchy and parts of his life after dethronement are shown at the start of many episodes. His death is shown in the end of season 5, along with his funeral.
Tahsin Pasha	Bahadır Yenişehirlioğlu	1-154	The head of chamberlains and First Secretary of the palace. He is the most loyal person and the right-hand man of the Sultan and Sultan trusts him with his life. He is always present with the Sultan. For him, the state means the Sultan. He has been working for the state since he was 13 years old. At the end of season 5, after being dismissed from being a Pasha, Tahsin is tasked with a duty to document the events that took place during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid.
Mahmud Pasha	Hakan Boyav	1-154	Brother-in-law of Sultan and husband of Seniha Sultan. He is one of the antagonists for the first season and the beginning of the second season. He is greedy and treacherous, always ready to switch sides. He is main conspirator of several assassination attempts on Sultan and tries to sabotage the Hejaz Railway project. He is also the best comic relief character. Mahmud Pasha becomes loyal after helping the Sultan find the killer of Sultan Abdülaziz, and is believed to be a trustworthy and clever Pasha whose former ties with traitors could come in handy. However, in Season 5, he is revealed to be the traitor Mason Pasha and kept suspicion away from himself by pretending to be on a wheelchair. However, he did this to end the Freemasons, and is still loyal to the Sultan. He uses Sabahattin and Karasu in Paris to send information about Masons to Sultan Abdulhamid. Gets very ill by the end of Season 5 and known to have passed away. His body remains in Paris despite many attempts by Sultan Abdülhamid to have it transported to Payitaht.
Bidar Sultan	Özlem Conker	1-128	Wife of Sultan Abdülhamid, the empress, and matriarch of the palace. Intelligent and not easy to fool, she is the mother of Prince Abdülkadir and Naime Sultan. Often argues with Seniha Sultan but befriends her later on. After encountering several betrayals, becomes very paranoid and disturbs everyone in the palace, even her own kids, repeatedly accusing everyone of being a traitor. Kicks many people out of the palace. Leaves the palace and goes to Bursa after giving away important state information due to being threatened with Abdülkadir. Comes back to the palace when she is working with Aliye Sultan. Leaves Palace during Season 5.
Seniha Sultan	Selen Özturk	1-89	Sultan Abdülhamid's sister and wife of Mahmud Pasha. She loves her brother and always wants him out of the harm's way. She is smart and cunning. She stands out with her ambitious and brave personality. She depends on the traditions and rules of the state. Has a rivalry with Bidar Kadın. Although she likes Sultan Abdülhamid very much, the continuation of the Ottoman Dynasty is more important to her. She couldn't bear the domination of Cemile Sultan. Doesn't appear in the fourth season after the first episode as she goes to Umrah with her son Lütfullah
Şehzade Mehmed Abdülkadir	Can Sipahi	1-127	Son of Sultan Abdülhamid and Bidar Kadın. He is arrogant, pampered by his mother, and spoiled by his uncle Mahmud Pasha who wants to use him as a pawn. He usually thinks he is above everyone in the palace and often argues with people over Ahsen, his first love interest. He causes trouble for the Sultan and exhibits a lot of personal and ideological differences with his father. He often reads the opposition's newspapers. His best friend is his cousin Sabahattin, who repeatedly tricks him into making many mistakes. Falls in love with Firuze but eventually realizes she is a traitor. Marries Mislimelik (Pakize) initially just to spite Sabahattin but got along well until Mislimelik's sister died, then divorced. Leaves the palace during Season 5 to start a new life with Meziyet, who he wants to marry.
Prince Sabahaddin	Kaan Turgut	1-154	Son of Seniha Sultan and Mahmud Pasha. He is a leader of the Young Turks. He is cunning like his father and acts as his right-hand man in manipulating Prince Abdülkadir. There is nothing he will not do for independence. He is ideologically more rabid than his father. Is a traitor and flees the Empire. Collaborates with Armenian gangs, Rothschild, Zalman, and Karasu to bring trouble to Sultan Abdülhamid. Is a close ally and partner of Karasu. Uses his father's weakness against him to his benefit multiple times. Works with Opposition and is part of Masons. He seems to develop some affection for his homeland when being used by his father in Paris.
Naime Sultan	Duygu Gurcan	1-147	Sultan Abdülhamid and Bidar Kadın's favorite daughter. Very naïve and spoiled; in love with Kemalettin Pasha but goes after revenge after finding out his affair with Hatice Sultan. Was close friends with Şivenaz and was shocked by her betrayal. Very sad after her mother leaves the palace and insists she will return. Frequently accuses Saliha Sultan of various things she did and is very close to her cousin, Aliye, not knowing that she is a traitor. Sent by Abdülhamid to her mother.
Sultan Murad V	Nevzat Yılmaz	1-54	Elder brother of Abdülhamid and was the Sultan before him. He is shown after deposition in exile in Çırağan Palace. Fond of his brother's political abilities and always praises him and compares him better than himself to rule the state. Is also a Freemason. His death is spoken of at the beginning of Season 5 but not shown; leaves an heir to his position in the Freemasons.
Theodor Herzl	Saygın Soysal	1-44	The main antagonist of the first season. Herzl is an Austro-Hungarian Zionist. He wants to establish a Zionist state in Palestine and tries to convince the Sultan to let him buy land from Palestine, but is not. He repeatedly publishes fake news against Sultan Abdülhamid II to defame him and the Ottoman Empire. Works with Parvus but does not really like him, exposing the fact that he had Sara Hedeya killed to Karasu. His death is spoken of by Hechler but not shown.
Kolağası Celal	Umut Kurt	1-9	Good with guns, an expert marksman, and loyal soldier of the Sultan. He is an officer in Sultan's secret police. Close friends with Ömer, Yusuf, and Kemalettin Pasha. In love with Naime Sultan and sends a letter confessing that to her before dying; is shot while transporting weapons.
Kemalettin Pasha	Eren Hacısalihoğlu	1-54	Son of Gazi Osman Pasha, one of Sultan Abdülhamid's most trusted men. Was very close friends with Celal and was devastated when he died. Fell in love with Hatice Sultan but married Naime Sultan on his father's insistence. Causes several heart problems for his father. His previous relationship with Hatice is exposed later but when the truth of Naime's revenge is revealed, they are forgiven by the Sultan. He gets divorced from Naime and is sent to Bursa for a new duty
Ömer	Akın Akınözü	1-17	Brave, dashing, and fearless cabby, he is a commoner. He saves the Sultan during an assassination attempt and becomes a favorite young admirer of Sultan. Becomes closely tied with the palace and is allowed into the secret room after saving the Sultan. His best friends are Yusuf and Celal, who works in the Secret Police. He is romantically interested in Ahsen which causes him to get in trouble with Prince Abdülkadir. Argues with Yusuf at the end of season 1 and is drawn into a trap while trying to resolve the argument; gets shot and dies while grappling over a gun with Yusuf
Yusuf		1-27	He was born and raised on the same street as Ömer. When Yusuf lost his family at 13, he, along with his sister Zeynep, moved with Ömer's family. Together with Ömer, he is sworn to fight. Although he used to lose his money and get into debt and prison cockfighting, starts earning his money in honest ways after Ömer's death. Works with Murad and Söğütlü Osman after getting to know them through Ahsen and gets involved with some of their spy missions. Is shot and killed by Vladimir
Gazi Osman Pasha	Aydın Sigalı	1-53	The legendary Ottoman Commander who defended the city during the Siege of Plevna in the Russo-Turkish War. He is the father of Kemalettin Pasha and one of the most trusted men of Sultan Abdülhamid II. Is very loyal to the Sultan. Dies of a heart attack while telling Abdülhamid II that the Masons are going to kill the whole palace and enthrone Murad V.
Melike (Ahsen)	Ezgi Eyüboğlu	1-39	A beautiful girl from the Balkans who loses her memory in an accident during the chaos of an assassination attempt on the Sultan. Intelligent, with a big heart and good intentions. She becomes a royal guest after losing her memory and becomes a love interest for Prince Abdülkadir, who runs into trouble with rivals Ömer and later Murad. It is later found out that Sara Hedaya sent her to the palace to kill Sultan Abdülhamid; however, unable to kill him, she sees that the Sultan is not a bad person and finds out that he was not the person who killed her father. Gets involved with many spy missions with Murad Efendi and Söğütlü Osman, finally getting engaged to Murad. While shopping for a wedding dress, she is shot by Vladimir, who was coming in a nearby cab. Is taken to the palace infirmary and dies there.
Fehime Sultan	Elif Ozkul	1-51	Ottoman Sultan Murad V's second daughter. Abdülhamid treats her like his own daughter, although she is forbidden to meet her father. Returns to her father's palace.
Hatice Sultan	Gozde Kaya	1-54	Sultan Murad V's eldest daughter. Doesn't like her uncle due to what happened to her dad. Full of dreams of freedom and marriage. Is in love with Kemalettin but marries Vasfi Pasha after promising to marry him so that she could see her dad. She later begins a new life with Vasfi but when her relationship with Kemalettin is exposed, Vasfi divorces her. She rejects Kemalettin's offer to start a new life in Bursa and goes back to her father's palace.
Hiram		1-18	An Armenian priest sent by Vatican but he is more than a pastor. He is an atheist professional assassin. He is known to commits his first murder at the age of four. He attempted to assassinate Sultan Abdülhamid but he fails. Sultan Abdülhamid confronts him in prison with some emotional details about his past, after which he becomes a double agent for him.
Samir	Emre Kentmenoğlu	1-9	Brother of Melike. He is a journalist by profession who believes in violent revenge for the death of his father who is believed to be killed during a rebellion against the Empire in the Balkans. He too wants to kill the Sultan. However, he learns the truth about his dad and has Ahsen write his apology in a notebook before dying after being shot by Hiram
Sara Hedeya	Elena Viunova	1-17	Assistant and personal secretary of Herzl. Fiancée of Emanuel Karasu. She is a hardcore Zionist herself. Took care of Ahsen and Samir for a while and attempted to get Ahsen to assassinate the Sultan; however, eventually gets Samir killed by Hiram when he finds out that Parvus was the one who actually killed their dad. Killed by Parvus's man
Zulfet Kalfa	Zeynep Ozan	1-128	Right Hand of Bidar Sultan in the harem. Very Loyal. Leaves alongside her Season 5
Emanuel Karasu	Ali Nuri Turkoglu	2-154	He is a well-known member of Young Turks. Was the fiancé of Sara Hedeya. He is a member of a well-known merchant family of Zionists who plots to overthrow the Empire. He is the pioneer of Freemasonry activities in the Ottoman State and recruits Talat Bey to the Masons. Has a daughter named Frida
Söğütlü Osman	Yusuf Aytekin	2-154	Born in Söğüt, the founding location of the Ottoman Empire. Becomes a soldier after his brother, a soldier, was martyred in an assassination attempt on the Sultan. Is given the job of staying with Ömer and became close friends with him and Yusuf. After the death of Ömer, begins to work as a spy with Murad/Meyyit Efendi and then Fehim Pasha. Works with Halil Halid, Tatar, Asaf Emre and Nadir Bey after Halil Halid comes from Egypt and works with Eşref Aziz later on. Is martyred from a gunshot.
Fatma Psend Sultan	Zeynep Ozder	4-17	Sultan Abdülhamid's wife; is pregnant. At first she was determined to stay out of the harem and politics issues but her servant Esma, who was a traitor, convinced her into getting Bidar Sultan into a hard spot.
Rahıme Perestu Valide Sultan	Şefika Tolun	7-8	Abdülhamid is her adopted son. Comes to the palace after receiving news from Fatma Psend Sultan about indulging of Bidar Sultan and Seniha Sultan in politics and to warn them.
Basil Zaharoff		10-17	A gun trader. Works with Herzl.
Asaf Emre	Yusuf Eker	4-128	Works with Halil Halid, Sogutlu Osman, Tatar and Nadir bey. Good at shooting and important part of the group. Likes singing and joking around.

Season 2[]

Character	Played By	Appearance In Episodes	Description
Aleksandr İsrail Parvus	Kevork Malikyan	18-54	A rich Zionist who funds various anti-Ottoman factions. Killed Melike and Samir's dad Efraim Efendi and framed the Sultan for it; also had Sara Hedeya killed and framed the Sultan for that as well. The main antagonist of the second season. Pretends to be Gerfand Efendi, an engineer and old friend of Sultan Abdülhamid, in order to get into the palace and disrupt the Sultan's plans. Sets up a Masonic Lodge with Sabahattin, Karasu, Crowly, and others. Sent to British prisons as a result of the Sultan's plan he was just a added charge ter
Lord William	Ercument Fidan	18-111	British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Works with enemies against the Sultan. Replaced by William Hechler
Rus Sefir	Cem Uras	18-140	Russian Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Works with enemies against the Sultan
Murad Efendi (Meyyit Efendi)	Volkan Keskin	18-54	Sultan Abdülhamid's nephew, as Murad's mother and the Sultan were milk siblings. One of the most trusted spies, along with Söğütlü Osman. Falls in love with Ahsen and eventually proposes to her. However, while Ahsen is shopping for a wedding dress, she gets shot by Vladimir, Parvus's man. Murad kills the wrong person in trying to take revenge and was supposed to be executed; however, he does not die thanks to Sultan Abdülhamid, who gives him the name Meyyit Efendi. Works with Fehim Pasha for the rest of the season. Only appears in season 2
Marco	Nik Xhelilaj	18-27	Parvus's man. Is very loyal to Parvus and is friends with Vladimir. Fights often with Murad Efendi. Is killed by Murad Efendi after trying to kill Mahmud Pasha
Firuze	Cemre Baysel	18-38	Daughter of Fatma Kalfa who was fired from the palace by Bidar Sultan on the charge of theft. Comes to the Yıldız Palace as nanny of Şadiye Sultan. Persuades Şehzade Abdülkadir to fall in love with her so that she can marry him and become a Sultan and take the revenge of her mother. Her dream remains unfulfilled as she is put into prison, where she commits suicide after her true greedy and vengeful nature is revealed.
Selim Pasha	Taner Erturkler	18-154	A Pasha of Sultan Abdülhamid. Very loyal but fooled by Herzl after his daughter Dilşat is killed. Competitor of Mahmud Pasha for the post of Grand Vizier but does not end up getting this post. Leaves to the Arab lands in season 2, but there Zalman finds him and tortured him until he loses his mind and forgets his own name, calling himself Maktel. However, eventually recovers and kills Zalman. After many events, he was suspected to be the Freemason Pasha, which later turns out to be false, as he was threatened with his brother Necip.
Zuhtu Pasha	Latif Koru	18-88	A loyal Pasha of Sultan AbdulHamid. In Season 3 he goes to Paris and joins the Young Turks as a spy for the Sultan. After sometime Sabahaddin and Karasu figure out Zuhtu Pasha as the spy in the Young Turks. Returns to Istunbul after being exposed
Gerfand Efendi	Vedat Ulutas	18-29	A German merchant and friend of Sultan Abdulhamid. Captured by Parvus and tries to escape but is threathened with his family. His wife leaves a note in the palace calling for help. Eventually rescued by Sogutly Osman and Murad Effendi
Vasfi Bey	Eray Turk	18-54	Works under Kemalettin Pasha. Gets married with Hatice Sultan and is ready to do everything for her and even bears her hate towards him. Figures out the affair of Hatice Sultan and Kemalettin Pasha. After Sultan forgives Hatice Sultan and Kemalettin Pasha, Hatice Sultan offers him to forget the past and continue their marriage life. Refuses and Divorces Hatice Sultan
Dilsat	Güzide Arslan	19-35	Daughter of Selim Pasha and friend of Ahsen. A great fan of Theodor Herzl's writings. Steals important documents of the state for Herzl. Shot by Vladimir and dies after having a surgery in hospital while confessing her betrayal to the state to her father.
Kaiser Wilhelm II	Ahmet Somers	32-38	Emperor of Germany. Allies with the Ottoman Empire and has a strong friendship with Sultan Abdulhamid II. Comes to visit Payitaht on the invitation of Sultan
Huseyn Pasha	Alper Duzen	32-39	Brother of Bidar Sultan. Betrays Abdülhamid II because his brother Mehmed Pasha is in exile. Tries to attack the Harem using his soldiers but fails. Is executed when found (not shown)
Vladimir	Gürkan Güzeyhuz	26-40	Parvus's man. Is very loyal to Parvus and is friends with Marco. Kills several people and takes Marco's place after he is killed. Is burned alive by Murad Efendi on Fehim Pasha's order after he tries to find Fehim Pasha for Parvus
Fehim Pasha	Erkan Avci	40-54	Keeps the safety of the streets of payitaht. Has several men and works with Meyyit Efendi and Söğütlü Osman. Violent but very loyal. Marries İrena after Gertrude Bell sends her as a spy but she joins Fehim Pasha's side. Is killed by Crowly while trying to stop the assassination attempt on the entire palace
Mislimelek (Pakize)	Buse Varol	40-58	Pakize is an exiled Abkhazian princess along with her elder sister Efsun. Sultanzade Sabahaddin falls in love with her but her sister wants her to marry Şehzade Mehmed Abdülkadir. Eventually marries Şehzade Abdülkadir and becomes his first wife and Sultan in the palace. Sultan Abdülhamid changes her name to Mislimelek after her marriage according to royal traditions. This causes a rivalry between Abdülkadir and Sabahattin. Accuses Handan of killing Efsun which she didn't. Divorces Abdülkadir and returns to her homeland at the starting of season 3 after the death of her elder sister Efsun.
Efsun Hanim	Nur Fettahoğlu	40-54	Exiled Abkhazian Princess along with her younger sister Pakize Hanım. Falls in love with Şehzade Mehmed Selim. Dies because of falling from the stairs while trying to reveal the true identity of Handan in front of all the palace
Şehzade Mehmed Selim	Ilker Kizmaz	43-88	Son of Sultan Abdülhamid and Bedrifelek Kadın. Very sensible and loyal to his fathers ideology. Falls in love with Zeynep Nurse, who Halil Halid also likes, and is with her when she dies. Returns to Paris after season three.
Handan	Emel Dede	43-63	Wife of Şehzade Mehmed Selim. Constantly lies to him about bearing a child and he divorces her when she exposes the truth. Still tries to make a soft corner for herself in his heart by a suicide attempt, even losing her vision temporarily, but they never get on together again.
Gertrude Bell	Songül Öden	45-51	A lady who travels all along the world and is in favour of civilization. She wants to make the East be like West. She is against Sultan as she wants to modernize the country by taking down the Sultanate and also draws ties with Parvus. She is kind-hearted and does not want innocent people to die so she breaks down relations with Parvus. Leaves Payitaht later on in season 2.
Irena	Buket Kahraman	49-54	A lady of works at the hotel. Works for Parvus and as part of the plan makes Fehim Pahsa love her. Fehim Pasha marries Irene but she later regrets her decision. Only appears in Season 2
Crowly	Kenneth James Dakan	49-61	Works for Parvus. Was about to kill the whole Ottoman Family but is wounded by Fehim Pasha. Escapes to Egypt and collaborates with Rothschild. Eventually killed by Halil Halid

Season 3[]

Character	Played By	Appearance In Episodes	Description
Edmond Rothschild	Suavi Eren	55-89	Edmund Rothschild, born in France in 1845, is a member of the Rothschild Banking family; he is a very rich Zionist Jew. An extremely intelligent, cunning, and cold-blooded character, he is an identity that worships money and power like all Rothschilds, sees the world as his own playground, and believes that everything exists to serve him. His biggest goal is to destroy the Ottoman Empire. Is openly enemies with Sultan Abdülhamid, although he has sent many traitors into the palace. Only Appears in Season 3
Lila (Shivenaz)	Başak Daşman	55-88	Rothschild's daughter. Clever, cunning, and manipulative. Her biggest dream is to get the holy lands of her belief back from the Ottomans. By coming to payitaht, she turns everything in the palace upside down. Is also Fuad Efendi's fiancée. Kills several people by poisoning them, including her own uncle. Pretends to reform and convert to Islam after being arrested, but is really trying to kill Bidar Sultan. Shot and killed by Abdülkadir.
Fuad Efendi	Hakan Yufkacigil	55-81	Works with Rothschild and Şivenaz. Inherited his hate of the Sultan from his father İsmail Pasha, who was Khedive of Egypt but was one of the biggest traitors to the Ottoman Empire. His biggest purpose is to get rid of Sultan Abdülhamid and his family. Şivenaz's fiancé, although they never get married. Is shot in the neck and killed by Ahmed Celalettin Pasha while trying to escape for London.
Zeynep Nurse	Sedef Avci	55-82	A nurse who crosses paths with Bidar Sultan. Is a traitor and works for Şivenaz. Although Mehmed Selim falls in love with her, she is in love with Halil Halid. Is shot and killed by Şivenaz's men before telling who the traitor is
Arminius Vambery	Guven Kirac	55-88	Sultan Abdülhamid's old friend. He is a dynamic, cunning, intelligent, and political man who knows how to act. In addition to being an international spy for Sultan Abdülhamid, Uncle Vambery is a close friend to Abdülkadir and Naime since their childhood. Though he has a strong will, he loves money and power, causing him to become a traitor and work with Fuad Efendi and Rothschild. Is sent out of payitaht never to come back.
Arif	Ekin Mert Daymaz	55-88	A journalist who works for Robina, not knowing she is a traitor. Often writes against the Sultan. Writes a report about Naime Sultan which angers and as a result she meets with arrive in disguise. Falls in love with Naime Sultan not knowing her true identity. Eventually finds out her true identity but still contains feeling for her. Has tensions with Abdulkadir. Refuses the marriage offer of Naime Sultan. Leaves Payitaht at the end of Season 3.
Halil Halid	Gurkan Uygun	55-119	He is the one of the most trustworthy and efficient spies of Sultan. He is seen carrying out missions throughout the Empire as well as behind enemy lines like in Tsarist Russia. He is known as "Dayı" or Uncle, and commands a small group of men, including Söğütlü Osman, Tatar Salih, Nadir Bey, and Asaf Emre, who accompany him on different missions. Slandered and thought to be a traitor many times.Later works with Rothschild and Fuad Efendi since being threatened with her sister. Goes to Russia between Seasons 4 and 5.
Tevfik Pasha	Tolga Öztürk	55-146	From Crimean noble family. Sultan especially asks for Tevfik Pasha to come to the palace in season 3. Even though he is to become Sultan if no heir remains from the Ottoman royal family, is very loyal to the state and Sultan. Has a sister named Bahar. Is in love with Fatma Sultan.
Refik Pasha	Tolga Yeter	56-88	The Pasha who manages the security of the palace and in charge of the Ottoman Barracks. Is shot and wounded in the barracks at the end of Season 3 during the rebellion.
Tatar Salih	Erdem Ergüney	56-119	Works with Halil Halid, Asaf Emre, Nadir Bey and Sogutlu. A main member of the group. Is alongside Halil Halid for the mission in Russia in Season 3.
Garo	Volkan Uygun	56-86	A gangster who wants revenge as he thinks Halil Halid killed his brothers. Throughout season 3 works with Samuel and Rothschild. Husband of Robina but Robina wants to marry Jorris so has tensions with Jorris and Robina. Killed by Tatar.
Samuel	Nebil Sayin	56-69	A gangster who works for Rothschild and is one of the main men of Rothschild. Killed by Halil Halid while trying to kill the German Ambassador.
Ismail Hakki Bey	Necip Karakaya	56-154	A music composer and a close friend of Sultan Abdulhamid.
Kasgarli Nadir Bey	Salman Atas	64-154	Works with Sogutlu, Halil Halid, Asaf and Tatar. He is very skilled in melee fight. Loyal to his group and Sultan. Later works with Esref Aziz. Nadir Bey never spoke until he meets his brother Nerva in season 5.
Edward Jorris	Serdar Deniz	70-95	Comes to Payitaht with Robina and aims to conquer the city. A man of Rothschild and wants to kill him. Has a son named Sander who is killed by a Jewish but being blamed on Halil Halid. Even aims to kill the Russian Ambassador in order to start a war. Is arrested at the exposition while trying to steal the weapons and sent to the dungeons.
Roza	Sultan Ulutas	65-70	Adoptive daughter of Vambery Efendi and extremely loyal to her father. Vambery was constantly threatened with Roza by Shivenaz. Vambery attempted a fake assassination attempt on Roza to make Shivenaz believe she died. Leaves Payitaht secretly by the order of her father
Robina Fain	Ece Irtem	70-95	Comes to Payitaht with Jorris. Wife of Garo but cheats on him and then wants to marry Jorris in order to gain benefits. Has a newspaper company where she spread fake news against the Sultan. Also the former wife of Ziya Sami and has a daughter named Alice
Lars	Selcuk Kilic	72-95	Man of Edward Jorris. Involved in crimes against the state. Killed by Nadir Bey at the exposition
Ahmed Celalettin Pasha	Cem Uçan	75-148	The head of spies (Serhafiye) for Sultan Abdülhamid and his childhood friend. Was underground for 10 years due to his harsh tactics, but was summoned to find the Pasha collaborating with the Young Turks. Has a reputation of being merciless and unemotional. Demoted from being Serhafiye after disobeying the Sultan's order and shooting Zülüflü İsmail Pasha. The actual Mason Pasha (Mahmud Pasha) puts the blame on him and makes it seem like he is the Mason Pasha and the traitor, eventually almost getting him arrested by the Sultan. Joins the Young Turks and works with enemies of the state including Cassel and Karasu. Exiled to Paris after he confesses everything to Sultan through a letter. He is not against the state but against Sultan Abdulhamid.
Sander Jorris	Ege Deniz	80-86	Son of Edward Jorris. His mother was killed by Joris. A innocent kid forced in gang by his father. Halil Halid and his group take care of him for a while but then he is kidnapped and killed by a Jewish
Omer Efendi	Batin Deniz Ucan	81-88	Sultan's spy in the UK. Steals important contents from the British library. After that arrives to Payitaht where Sultan asks him to work with Halil Halid and his group. Only appears in season 3.

Season 4[]

Character	Played By	Appearance In Episodes	Description
Prens Lutfullah	Cem Rohat Bozan	89	Son of Mahmud Pasha and Seniha Sultan and younger brother of Sabahaddin. Only appears in 1st Episode of season four. Goes to Umrah with Seniha Sultan
Cemile Sultan	Devrim Yakut	89-111	Sister of Sultan Abdülhamid II. Is grieving over her husband Mahmud Celalettin Pasha, who was known to have a finger in the assassination of Sultan Abdülaziz. They did not divorce despite his death sentence from exile. Although Cemile Sultan plans to leave after Veladet-i humayun celebrations, she decides to stay when Abdülhamid commissions Mehmed, her son, in the palace. She is authoritarian and intolerant, even causing Seniha Sultan to leave. Goes to Paris to Mehmed.
Mehmet Celaleddin	Ceyhun Mengiroglu	89-107	Son of Cemile Sultan and Mahmud Celaleddin Pasha. Smart and brave and was in love with Gulcemal. Eventually ends up marrying Gulcemal. Forgives her after her truth is exposed and Goes to Paris
Zalman David Levontin	Sermet Yeşil	89-112	He is an expert in war tactics. Had participated in all the wars of the past 30 years. His main goal is to start a big world war.With Rotschild's command, Zalman goes to payitaht to fight as a Jewish Zionist for the first time. Hides his identity in the palace, calling himself Mr. Gustav and working as an engineer. Although he does not have many men, he has some in every vital location, although they are all exposed and arrested after he was caught. Is killed by Selim Pasha.
Zülüflü İsmail Pasha	Arif Piskin	89-125	Elder brother of Abdülhamid II. Son of Abdulmejid I from an exiled wife so is not a Şehzade and so is not an heir to the throne. First works for Sultan as a bait for the enemies, but later he is lured into believing that Sultan had his son killed and went to the opposite side. Regrets after learning the truth. Is exiled by Ferid Pasha in season 5 after being thought to be the Mason Pasha. Takes his revenge from there.
Şehzade Ahmed Nureddin	Alp Akar	89-111	Son of Sultan from his wife Behice Hanım. Is very upset because of his mother's lack of attention towards him due to her illness and was an arrogant and naughty boy. However, Bidar Sultan's affection turns him into a very virtuous and well-behaved child who starts considering her as his mother.
Monica	Kader Oner	89-108	An Italian lady that Lütfullah meets while studying abroad. Wife of Lütfullah and Mahmud Pasha and Seniha Sultan's daughter-in-law. Appears with Lütfullah at the beginning of season 4. Tries to fit in and learn Ottoman traditions. A comic-relief character.
Bahar	Eslia Umut	89-106	From Crimean noble family. Sister of Tevfik Pasha. Is Mehmed's childhood friend and also has feelings for him. Envies Gülcemal due to Mehmed's love for her.
Gülcemal	Gülsim Ali	89-119	Wife of Mehmed Efendi and Cemile Sultan's daughter-in-law. A hidden Christian and a traitor, works for Madam Blavatsky. However, is a good-hearted girl; confesses to Bidar Sultan and is forgiven by her and her husband. Exiled to Paris at the end of Season 4
Meziyet	Sultan Elif	90-126	A girl in the harem whose arm got burnt during the revolution while protecting important papers. Is secretly not loyal to Bidar Sultan and has a deep love for Şehzade Abdülkadir. He also develop feelings for her sensing her true love and loyalty unlike the previous cases. They are to be married until her two roommates turn out to be traitors putting her on the suspect list of Bidar Sultan, who tries to prevent their marriage
Ziya Sami	Ertugrul Postoglu	95-106	Brother of Halil Halid and former husband of Robina. Has a daughter named Alice. A traitor who disclosed state secrets and killed his own parents. Halil Halid works with him because of his brother’s request until he is killed.
Ester	Makbule Meyzinoglu	90-97	A woman who works for Zalman and Blavatsky. Gets into the palace kitchen as a cooks. She gets into conflict with Gulcemal after Blavastsky gives control of Payitaht to Gulcemal. Killed by Zalman
Madam Blavatsky	Kadriye Kenter	96-119	A vile woman in search of the Ark of the Covenant. Gülcemal and Dilruba work for her as spies in the palace, while Anna and Marco are members of her society. Pretends to help Cemile Sultan find her husband, in return of her old mansion where the clues to the Ark are hidden. She learns that the Ark is under Yıldız Palace, but Hechler warns her that it's a trap set by Sultan Abdülhamid. After many events, Blavatsky gets killed by being shot by Bahar after Bidar Sultan learns about her actions.
Frida Karasu	Esra Isguzar	101-154	Daughter of Emanuel Karasu and student of Şivenaz in poisons. Poisons Mahmud Pasha which even led him near to death. The love interest of Sabahattin. Plays many games alongside her father
William Hechler	Cem Ozer	111-135	A Christian Zionist. Mourns the death of Theodor Herzl. Comes to Payitaht as the new British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire after Zalman is defeated. Openly enemies with Sultan Abdülhamid. Makes many moves against the Sultan using his spies, alongside Sabahattin, Frida, and İsmail Pasha. Gets imprisoned on the charge of allegedly attempting to kill the Russian Ambassador at the end of Season 4. However, with the help of the traitor Pashas, Hechler gets reinstated as the British Ambassador in Season 5. He is eventually defeated and leaves Payitaht, and the British send Cassel.
Zekiye Sultan	Tugce Kumral	112-131	Daughter of Sultan from his wife Bedrifelek Kadın. Wife of Ali Nureddin, son of Gazi Osman Pasha. Is called by Sultan to take over control of the harem which is being neglected by issues of Bidar Sultan and Cemile Sultan. She is a loving girl. She even shows a positive attitude after finding out about her husband's second secret marriage. She loves her sister Naime Sultan a lot.

Season 5[]

Character	Played By	Appearance In Episodes	Description
Avlonyalı Ferid Pasha	Yılmaz Meydaneri / Alper Türedi	120-154	The newly appointed Sadrazam (Grand Vizier)
Kristapor Mikaelyan	Hakan Bilgin [tr]	120-147	One of the three great founders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Has an interest in bombs, especially timed ones. Uncle of Ali Osman
Talat Bey	Eren Dinler	120-154	Initially works at a post office. Member of Young Turks and a great supporter of Ahmed Rıza Bey. Later, also becomes a member of the Masons after Karasu, Sabahattin, and Frida convince him to join.
Esref Aziz	Ismail Hakki Urun	120-149	A good fighter. Unofficial helper of the Ottoman Empire. Was married to Mika's sister, who converted from Christianity to Islam, so Mika in revenge poisons Eşref Aziz's son, Ali Osman. Söğütlü Osman, Nadir Bey, and Asaf Emre work alongside him. He dies by getting a gunshot.
Izak Fernandez	Cansu Firinci	120-135	Fernandez is a Mason who is in cooperation with Karasu. He fights against Sultan Abdülhamid with economic and anarchic moves to take his brother's revenge. Often works with Hechler as well
Fatma Sultan	Alara Turan	120-154	Murad V's daughter, Sultan Abdülhamid's niece, and the sister of Aliye Sultan. Initially blames her uncle for what her father has experienced and disturbs Bidar Sultan a lot in harem. However, she is not a traitor and would not betray the state, saying that it is a family issue and not a state issue. Is repeatedly accused of being a traitor by Bidar Sultan although she is not. Good with a bow and arrow
Aliye Sultan	Goksin Sarac	120-154	Murad V's daughter, Sultan Abdülhamid's niece, and the sister of Fatma Sultan. Leaves Çırağan Palace and goes to Yıldız due to lung problems. However, is actually faking her illness and wants to take down Sultan Abdülhamid in revenge for what happened to her dad. Joins an organization that is against the state and the Sultan.
Manyasizade Refik Bey	Ali Buhara Mete	121-147	A man who claims to be part of an organization that secretly helps the Ottoman Empire but is actually conspiring with the Masons and Young Turks. Tells İsmail Pasha that Ahmed Pasha is the mason, although he is not, and makes the two Pashas fight with each other. Gets Ahmed Pasha to join the Young Turks since the Sultan doesn't trust him anymore. Works for the Mason Pasha and communicates with him using a telephone.
Esad Pasha	Edip Saner	125-154	A traitor in the palace. Was promoted by Sadrazam while the Sultan was ill and joined the meetings afterwards. Works with Hechler, Karasu, and Sabahattin.
Saliha Sultan	Vildan Atasever	128-154	Sultan Abdülhamid's wife, mother of Şehzade Mehmed Abid. Comes to take care of the harem after Bidar Sultan leaves. Has good intentions but does not get along well with Naime Sultan. Goes to the Sultan after he is exiled.
Sabuha	Goncagül Sunar	130-146	Mahmud Pasha's big sister. Is very rich and frugal. Has a son named Kani.
Şehzade Ahmed Nuri	Kemal Ucar	131-154	Sultan Abdülhamid and Bedrifelek Kadın's son. A skilled spy. Infiltrates the British Embassy by gaining the trust of Manyas under the guise of Reşit Bey and subsequently the trust of Hechler. However, is later exposed and goes to the palace.
Ernest Cassel	Altan Erkekli	135-147	A famous banker. Close friend of the British King and an advisor to the Germans. Had previously worked in Egypt and established an exploitation system on behalf of his companies. Comes to Sultan Abdülhamid as an investor. However, is really trying to hurt the Ottoman Empire economically. Leaves Payitaht

Controversy[]

According to an opinion piece from staff members of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies published on The Washington Post, the series allegedly promotes an "antidemocratic", "antisemitic" and "conspiratorial" worldview, opining that the show depicts that "a free press, secularism and democracy are the work of foreign powers, religious minorities, and godless liberals, and ultimately serve to erode national identity, honor, and security. Of all the series’ villains, none are more sinister than the Jews."^[3]

Ritman and Galuppo stated that the television series portrays Abdülhamid "as a noble leader forced to do what he must to protect the Ottoman Empire", at odds with the negative reputation with historians outside of Turkey for allowing the Hamidian massacres.^[4]

Theodor Herzl, the liberal founder of modern Zionism, is one of the villains of the series who is portrayed as a man so perfidious as to hold his penniless father prisoner without his mother's knowledge because of alleged ideological differences. The show depicts him at the First Zionist Congress, portrayed in such a way as to evoke the Elders of Zion, planning to create a Jewish state spanning from the Nile to Euphrates,^[3] which is a popular anti-Zionism conspiracy theory. Meanwhile, the coin-flipper for the Sultan is portrayed as a secret Vatican agent allegedly working on behalf of Herzl,^[3] even though the Vatican allegedly opposed the establishment of Israel. The Washington Times noted that this portrayal was "revisionist in the extreme".^[3]

The anti-Westernism present in the show's message has also been remarked upon,^[3] as the production portrays "Jewish conspiracies" as melding together with the nefarious plots of the Catholic Church, Freemasonry, Britain as well as other Western powers, and the Young Turks into "one overarching scheme".^[3] The Vatican emissary is named "Hiram", a name that is associated with Freemasonry.^[3]

Reception[]

Political endorsements in Turkey[]

The Washington Post's opinion piece noted that various actors in Turkey's political scene seemed to explicitly endorse the messages present in the show.^[3]

In Turkey, the show has met the approval of a descendant of Abdulhamid, who said "history repeats itself … these meddling foreigners now call our president a dictator, just as they used to call Abdulhamid the ‘Red Sultan’".^[3][5]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan praised the show's portrayals just two days before a referendum,^[3] saying "the same schemes are carried out today in the exact same manner... What the West does to us is the same; just the era and actors are different".^[3][6] Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş lauded the show for "shedding light" on Sultan Abdulhamid's life in "an objective manner", and gave a personal visit to the set.^[3][7] It is noted that Sultan Abdulhamid frequently used the same Quranic-inspired catchphrases as President Erdoğan, notably including "If they have a plan, God too has a plan!".^[3]

When discussing the series, Sultan Abdül Hamid's great-grandson and Head of the Osmanoğlu family Harun Osman said the following:

"The popularity of television series about the Ottoman Empire has grown significantly in recent years in Turkey, and the Turkish government has encouraged a nostalgia for the greatness of the former empire which is sometimes referred to as 'Neo-Ottomanism'."^[8][9]

The Balkans[]

Although Turkish soap operas are wildly popular in the Balkans, Payitaht: Abdülhamid has caused some controversy in places such as Kosovo due to its message and alleged historical revisionism.^[10]

See also[]

• Other productions by  [tr]:
  • Filinta
  • The Ottoman Lieutenant
  •  [tr]
• List of Islam-related films

References[]

External links[]

• Payitaht: Abdülhamid -  [tr]
• Payitaht Abdülhamid on IMDb