Magnificent Century

About the series

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, the slave girl who became his wife. Written by Meral Okay and Yılmaz Şahin, directed by the Taylan Brothers and produced by Timur Savcı, it aired from 2011 to 2014, first on Show TV and then on Star TV.

Story

The series follows Süleyman’s reign as his power and empire grow, and the impact this has on everyone in the imperial household: his friend and grand vizier Pargalı İbrahim Pasha, his mother Hafsa Sultan, the first Valide Sultan, his sister Hatice Sultan, Mahidevran Sultan, mother of his eldest son Mustafa, and Hürrem, who rises from the harem to become his beloved Haseki Sultan. Their rivalries and intrigues shape the dynasty and open the era later known as the Sultanate of Women.

Cast highlights

• Halit Ergenç as Sultan Süleyman
• Meryem Uzerli as Hürrem Sultan (later Vahide Perçin)
• Okan Yalabık as Pargalı İbrahim Pasha
• Nebahat Çehre as Hafsa Sultan
• Mehmet Günsür as Şehzade Mustafa
• Aras Bulut İynemli as Şehzade Bayezid
• Tolga Sarıtaş as Şehzade Cihangir
• Engin Öztürk as Şehzade Selim
• Burak Özçivit as Malkoçoğlu Bali Bey

Production

With a total budget of 130 million Turkish lira, it was the most expensive project in Turkish television history at the time. A 2,100-square-metre set was built for the production, and a team of 30 sculptors and painters created exact replicas of palace buildings.

Legacy

Magnificent Century was broadcast in dozens of countries and drew huge audiences from the Balkans and the Middle East to Latin America. It sparked a wave of interest in Ottoman history and led to the follow-up series Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem.

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