Best Turkish Historical Series
Ottoman and Seljuk epics and period dramas set in old Istanbul and Anatolia, ranked by fan votes.
1. Kuruluş: Osman
Starring Burak Özçivit
Kuruluş: Osman (Establishment: Osman) is a Turkish historical action drama produced by Bozdağ Film for ATV, starring Burak Özçivit as Osman Bey, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. It ran for a record six seasons and 194 episodes,…
2. Kurt Seyit ve Şura
Starring Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, Farah Zeynep Abdullah and Elçin Sangu
Kurt Seyit ve Şura is a Turkish period drama based on Nermin Bezmen's novel of the same name, a true story about her grandfather. Directed by Hilal Saral and Nermin Bezmen, it aired on Star TV from 4 March to 20 November 2014 over…
3. Masumiyet Müzesi
Starring Selahattin Paşalı and Eylül Lize Kandemir
Masumiyet Müzesi (The Museum of Innocence) is a Turkish Netflix original limited series based on Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk's 2008 novel of the same name. Produced by Ay Yapım, written by Ertan Kurtulan and directed by Zeynep…
4. Magnificent Century (Muhteşem Yüzyıl)
Starring Meryem Uzerli, Okan Yalabık and Mehmet Günsür
Muhteşem Yüzyıl (Magnificent Century) is the most famous Turkish historical drama ever made, a lavish series about the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, the longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and Hürrem Sultan,…
5. Resurrection Ertugrul (Diriliş: Ertuğrul)
Starring Engin Altan Düzyatan, Engin Öztürk and Uğur Güneş
Diriliş: Ertuğrul (Resurrection: Ertuğrul) is a Turkish historical drama inspired by the life of Ertuğrul Bey, father of Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire. Created and produced by Mehmet Bozdağ under Bozdağ Film, written by…
6. Çalıkuşu
Starring Fahriye Evcen, Burak Özçivit and Şükrü Özyıldız
Çalıkuşu (The Wren) is a 2013 Turkish romantic period drama on Kanal D, based on Reşat Nuri Güntekin's classic 1922 novel, adapted for the screen for the fourth time. It stars Fahriye Evcen as Feride and Burak Özçivit as Kamran.…
7. Çemberimde Gül Oya
Starring Melisa Sözen and Tuba Büyüküstün
Çemberimde Gül Oya is a Turkish political period drama that aired on Kanal D from 2004 to 2005. It takes its name from a well-known folk song from the Çanakkale-Biga region, and it is remembered as one of the most ambitious…
8. Elveda Rumeli
Elveda Rumeli (Farewell Rumelia) is a Turkish historical drama produced by Adam Film that began airing on ATV on 20 September 2007. Set in the Ottoman Balkans between 1896–1898 and in 1907, it is remembered as one of the most…
9. Hatırla Sevgili
Starring Beren Saat and Okan Yalabık
Hatırla Sevgili (Remember, Darling) is a popular and controversial Turkish political drama that aired on ATV from November 2006 to 6 June 2008, for 68 episodes. Produced by Sis Yapım and directed by Ümmü Burhan, it stars Cansel…
10. The Club (Kulüp)
Starring Gökçe Bahadır, Barış Arduç and Metin Akdülger
Kulüp (The Club) is a Netflix period drama directed by Seren Yüce and Zeynep Günay Tan and produced by O3 Medya, starring Gökçe Bahadır, Barış Arduç, Salih Bademci, Fırat Tanış, Metin Akdülger and Asude Kalebek. Season one was…
11. The Great Seljuks (Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu)
Starring Buğra Gülsoy and Sevda Erginci
Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu (Awakening: The Great Seljuks) is a Turkish historical drama produced by Akli Film for TRT 1, written by Serdar Özönalan and directed by Sedat İnci. It focuses on the life of the Seljuk Sultan Malik-Shah I…
12. Yeşilçam
Starring Çağatay Ulusoy
Yeşilçam is a Turkish period drama about the golden age of Turkish cinema in the 1960s, directed by Çağan Irmak and written by Volkan Sümbül and Levent Cantek. Produced by Sunset Film for BluTV, it stars Çağatay Ulusoy, Afra…
13. Bir Zamanlar Çukurova
Starring Hilal Altınbilek, Murat Ünalmış and Uğur Güneş
Bir Zamanlar Çukurova (Bitter Lands, literally Once Upon a Time in Çukurova) is a Turkish period drama produced by TİMS&B Productions. It aired on ATV from 13 September 2018 to 16 June 2022, for four seasons and 141 episodes,…
14. Mavi Sürgün
Starring Caner Cindoruk, Damla Sönmez and Serkan Altunorak
Mavi Sürgün (The Blue Exile) is a Turkish period drama starring Caner Cindoruk, with Damla Sönmez and Serkan Altunorak in the cast. It was developed with international audiences in mind, especially in Latin America and Spain,…
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