Elveda Rumeli

About the series

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 beloved period dramas of Turkish television.

Story

The series follows a Turkish family living in Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire’s European lands, in the final decades before the empire lost the region. Through their daily lives, loves and friendships with neighbours of different faiths and backgrounds, Elveda Rumeli tells the story of a multicultural world on the edge of collapse, and of the pain of leaving home behind.

Production

The cast and crew included people from both Turkey and Macedonia, and the series was filmed around Bitola (Manastır) in North Macedonia, giving it authentic Balkan landscapes and architecture. Its music, written and composed by Kemal Sahir Gürel, Hüseyin Yıldız and Erdal Güney, became famous in its own right.

How it ended

After several key actors left in the third season and ratings fell at the end of the second, the series ended with its 83rd episode on 19 October 2009, after three seasons.

Why watch it

Warm, funny and deeply nostalgic, Elveda Rumeli is often listed among the best Turkish historical dramas. It is especially loved by viewers with family roots in the Balkans.

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