The Story of the Abdul Hamid II Series
Events of the series “Payitaht : Abdülhamid” (The Capital: Abdülhamid) SEASON 1
The Life of Sultan Abdülhamid II
Sultan Abdülhamid was the last sultan to hold executive power in the Ottoman Empire. A shrewd politician and statesman, he strived to protect the empire from external and internal threats and survived numerous assassination attempts. He is also portrayed as the de facto head of the secret police and intelligence services of the empire. A devout Muslim, he sought to modernize and develop the empire while preserving its Islamic and cultural values. His dream project was the Hejaz Railway, intended to connect the Islamic world.
The Assassination Attempt
Nearly twenty years into Sultan Abdul Hamid II’s reign, the Sultan investigates conspiracies against the state and himself. The Jewish leader Herzl conspires with Mahmud Pasha, the Sultan’s brother-in-law, to stage a coup against the Caliphate with the help of the monk Hiram. The Sultan survives an assassination attempt during his motorcade and is nearly killed by Hiram, but his driver, Omar Efendi, saves him and arrests Hiram. However, during the investigation into the assassination attempt, Mahmud Pasha helps Hiram escape.
Hiram’s Conspiracy
Hiram returns and orchestrates a conspiracy with the Armenians, who seek to establish their own state within the Ottoman Empire. This involves kidnapping Armenian children as hostages to pressure the Sultan into a deal. He demands the presence of the Grand Vizier, intending to assassinate him. Another plot involves raising the cross on the Hagia Sophia Mosque to incite unrest and chaos in the capital. However, the Sultan thwarts both plots. At the end of the first part, Herzl discovers Jews disguised as Muslims within Turkey. Meanwhile, the Sultan prepares for a war against a coalition of seven nations allied against the Ottoman Empire. He plans to expel the British and Russians from the conflict. The treachery of Mahmud Pasha is exposed, and he is exiled.
Events of the Abdul Hamid Capital Series, SEASON 2
The Fake and the Real Gerfend
Baros, a Zionist who funds Jewish factions, enters the Sultan’s presence disguised as a friend of the Sultan named Gerfend. Baros discovers the Sultan’s true motive for giving him oil maps and purchasing land from the locals. The Sultan had given Gerfend a portion of the maps, which pinpoint oil locations in Mosul, land owned by Jews who wouldn’t sell to the Sultan but would sell to the Germans. The real Gerfend manages to escape and reach the Sultan’s palace, entering while Baros is present. However, Baros drugs the real Gerfend while the Sultan is distracted, preventing him from being recognized. Suspicion then falls upon Baros in the Sultan’s mind.
The Archaeologist and Paros’s New Conspiracy
The archaeologist, an agent, recruits the sons of Arab tribal sheikhs to rebel against Sultan Abdul Hamid. A conflict arises between Paros and the archaeologist as Paros plots to kill the sheikhs’ sons and frame Sultan Abdul Hamid for the crime, aiming to incite rebellion. He approaches one of the sheikhs and convinces him to join the rebellion. He also plans to transport their sons by train and blow it up. The archaeologist informs the Sultan of this to gain his trust. Paros meets with the Sultan and is surprised to discover that the rebel sheikh is working for him. At the end of the second part, Paros is arrested and handed over to Britain. Despite this, Paros’s plan to assassinate the ruling family continues. He plans to release poison gas through the heating system. The operation takes place during the celebrations commemorating the Sultan’s coronation, in the presence of ambassadors. The Sultan attempts to open the door to the room, and the episode ends with him collapsing to the ground.
Events of the Abdul Hamid Capital Series, SEASON 3
The Sultan’s Plot
The Sultan plots between the Russians and the British, convincing them that they are spying on each other. This is intended to prevent their planned meeting to conspire against the Ottoman Empire and divide it. Meanwhile, the British plan to rob the Ottoman bank, a plan that is not hidden from the Sultan. He decides to stage the robbery to trap the thieves and provide a pretext for deceiving the British.
Another assassination attempt
The Sultan nearly fell victim to another assassination attempt, but Fuad Pasha was shot, and the Sultan escaped. The investigation revealed that the attack was carried out by the Sultan’s secret society. The Sultan also learned of a plot by these same secret societies to kidnap Mahmud Pasha. He ordered Mahmud to prepare in a cellar, where he was indeed located. However, they were surprised to find papers containing the names of their comrades, indicating that some British agents were working under the Sultan’s command. At the end of the third part, Sabahaddin, Mahmud Pasha’s son, dispatched three ships carrying soldiers to stage a coup against the Ottoman state. Despite Abdul Hamid’s attempts to locate them early, he was too late; the coup had already begun, and Ahmed Pasha, Mahmud Pasha, and Tahsin Pasha were shot. The palace was set ablaze, and the Sultan collapsed during the uprising.
Events of the fourth season of the series “Payitaht: Abdülhamid” (The Capital: Abdülhamid)
A Jewish man seeks to depose Sultan Abdülhamid by stealing a document from the palace, a document left by the Sultan’s father. He shows it to Ismail, the Sultan’s brother. The Sultan learns the contents of the stolen document and discovers a traitor within the palace. He imprisons Zalman, a Jewish expert in war tactics who aims to start a world war. The Sultan also sends Ahmed Pasha to search Zalman’s house, where he finds documents listing the people working for him. The Sultan orders their arrest. At the end of the fourth season, Sabahaddin continues to send information to the Sultan from Heckler, one of Herzl’s associates, who has discovered Sabahaddin’s treachery. The Sultan presents evidence of Heckler’s crimes, and the judge finds him guilty and sentences him to imprisonment.
The End of the Fifth Season of “Payitaht: Abdülhamid”
Amidst the conspiracies and conflicts within the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Abdülhamid’s brother, Murad, dies. In his will, he leaves a musical piece revealing the meeting places of Masonic groups. The Sultan attempts to decipher the piece to discover the location of their next meeting and entrusts this task to Ahmed Pasha. However, when the meeting begins, Ahmed Pasha cannot locate the meeting place. Sultana Bidar then leaks information concerning the Pashas, leading to their banishment from the palace. She informs the Sultan that she was the source of the leak, enraging him. She leaves the palace, and the Sultan rescinds the banishment order and apologizes to the Pashas.
The fifth season concludes with the deposition of Sultan Abdülhamid in 1909. He remains under house arrest until his death in 1918. The series also depicts the downfall of the traitors and the departure of Tahsin Pasha from the palace. A month after the Sultan’s death, Sultana Bidar also passes away.
Important Minor Events in the Abdul Hamid II Series
Here are the most prominent minor events in the series:
Omar Efendi saved the Sultan during the assassination attempt. He became closely associated with the palace and was granted access to the secret chamber after saving the Sultan. He was the Sultan’s best friend and developed romantic feelings for Ahsan, which caused him problems with Emir Abdulkadir. He argued with Yusuf at the end of the first season and fell into a trap while trying to resolve the dispute. He was shot while wrestling with Yusuf over a gun.
Mehmet Pasha, the Sultan’s son-in-law and husband of Seniha Sultan, was greedy and treacherous. He was the main conspirator behind several assassination attempts against the Sultan and the one who tried to sabotage the Hejaz Railway project.
Bidar Sultan, the wife of Sultan Abdul Hamid II and the Empress of the Palace, was intelligent and not easily deceived. She was the mother of Emir Abdulkadir and Naim Sultan. She often argued with Seniha Sultan but later befriended her.
The Most Important Awards Received by the Series “Payitaht: Abdülhamid”
The most prominent awards are:
The series won the Best International Actor Award at the 2017 Beirut International Film Festival Awards.
The series was nominated for fourteen other awards during its run.