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(ORIENTAL MUSIC)
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This is the untold story
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of the making of the modern world.
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A fresh perspective,
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charting the spread of civilization
across the globe.
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From the dawn of mankind
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and the first cities and empires
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to the belief in one god.
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(Calls for prayer)
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We follow the flow of civilization
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from the Middle East.
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An extraordinary place
that has been a vital link
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between the continents of Asia,
Africa and Europe for millennia.
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An economic, scientific
and cultural centre of the world.
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This is an epic journey
of discovery...
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from the East to the West.
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Conquest Day - commemorated
throughout Turkey every year.
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It recreates a historic event
in 1453 -
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the Ottoman conquest
of Constantinople.
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At its heart is a heroic figure -
the Ottoman sultan.
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This is the moment
he earned his name:
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Mehmet the Conqueror.
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The arrival of the Ottomans
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marked the end of a millennium
of Christian Byzantine rule
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and the beginning
of a new world order.
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When Mehmet came in here he knew he
had achieved his ultimate ambition.
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He had smashed the Byzantine Empire.
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This dynamic new dynasty,
would rapidly evolve
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into a sophisticated
Renaissance superpower -
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that would inspire both fear
and fascination in the West.
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The Ottomans would create models
tor state, trade and culture.
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HEATH LOWRY: Even today
you get a feeling
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for the permanency of this dynasty,
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that ruled half the known world
for more than half a millennium.
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This is the story of the rise
of the Ottoman Empire.
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600 years ago the Islamic world
was fractured -
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the Mongols had stormed
across from central Asia
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creating a new order.
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Gone were the old sultanates.
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Anatolia, modern day Turkey,
was a patchwork of beyliks -
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small states run
by different family regimes.
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But one of these had greater
ambitions.
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Ruled by a dynasty that would found
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one of the largest and longest
lasting Empires in history -
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the Ottomans.
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Settled on the north-western slopes
of Mount Uludag,
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is the first capital
of the Ottoman state -
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Bursa.
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In the 14th century,
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the Ottoman beylik was rapidly
expanding within Anatolia,
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but they wanted more.
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Tucked away in Bursa today
is a special place
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that marks
where the Ottoman story began.
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This tomb belongs to the founder
of the Ottoman Empire -
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the man who gave
his name to the dynasty -
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Osman.
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HEATH LOWRY:
The tomb of Osman Ghazi -
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no more fitting place
to begin talking about the Ottomans
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than the tomb of the founder
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of what was to become
a 600-year dynasty, Osman.
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We don't know much
about Osman's life.
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He remains a mysterious figure.
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Myth has it
that he was a shepherd,
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who was also a very successful
military leader.
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He was obviously charismatic because
people were attracted to his banner,
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but between the years of 1302
and his death in 1324,
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he laid the foundations tor what was
to become the Ottoman state.
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The Ottomans captured Bursa
from the Byzantines in 1326.
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Osman's tomb was built on the site
of a church complex,
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the centre of the old Byzantine city
the Ottomans had conquered.
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These sarcophagi are ceremonial
markers,
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commemorating the resting
place of Osman and his family.
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We know that his son, Orhan,
buried him here
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in probably one of the most
prominent spots of Bursa,
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the first city that
the Ottomans took.
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Next to him are buried a number
of his family members.
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All around the interior of the tomb,
are buried
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I think about 15
of his family members.
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For 600 years this became a central
point of pilgrimage
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as people came here to pay homage
to the founder of the dynasty.
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There's no way that
today one can get the entire feeling
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of what this tomb was once like
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because there should be probably 5O
or 7O people praying with candles,
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but even today you get a feeling
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for the permanency of this dynasty.
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We may not know much
about Osman's rule,
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but we do know he reputedly had
a famous dream.
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A dream that has become
the foundation myth
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of the Ottoman Empire.
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He's spending the night
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in the village home
of a sheikh named Edebali
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and he has this dream
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about this giant tree growing out
of his navel
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and Edebali, who is a holy man,
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explains to him that
that tree is his lineage
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what's going to happen
in the future
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and that he might be well
advised to marry Edebali's daughter
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who would help that foundation myth
become reality.
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Osman married Sheikh Edebali's
daughter
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and sowed the seeds
of the Ottoman dynasty.
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Ottoman power passed down
from generation to generation -
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creating a strong
and lasting lineage.
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By the 14th century, the Ottomans
were dominating Anatolia.
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And they built permanent foundations
here in Bursa.
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It's really hard
to over-stress the importance of Bursa.
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This is where the Ottoman Empire
really begins,
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and it remained an extremely
important centre of Ottoman history.
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This is literally
where it all began.
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Ulu Mosque was the central point
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in this quintessential
early Ottoman city.
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The skyline oi Bursa today is adorned
with minarets and domes,
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evidence of the Ottomans' talent
for city building.
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Here you really have
the heart of an Ottoman city.
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This is probably
the best surviving example.
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You have the central Friday mosque,
whose minaret I am standing atop,
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surrounded by all of the buildings
that are key to really understanding
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what an Ottoman city was all about.
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This particular mosque
is built in 1399
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and a series of structures
were built around it,
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to provide among other things,
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income for its upkeep
and maintenance.
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And they included primarily
a series of huge hans -
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central market places,
sometimes called kervansarays,
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one of which is here the Koza Han.
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And it is one of a series
of six similar hans
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that are built around the perimeter
of this mosque.
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And then in the centre, now full
of trees, it would have been open
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and merchants would actually bring
their camel caravans of goods
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into a particular han.
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In the case of this one
it was used for the silk trade,
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Bursa was a hub of commerce
with goods coming from the east
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as far as Yemen,
spices coming overland.
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Silk coming from Syria and Iran,
Persia
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and it is really no exaggeration
to say
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that the city was built on silk.
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So even as they were constantly
moving westward,
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the Ottomans were also very
interested in
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and spent a lot of time and effort,
developing trade and congress.
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Its strategic location on the westernmost
end of the famous Silk Route,
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made Bursa one of the most important
trading posts in Anatolia.
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The Ottomans used the revenue
from trade to build in style.
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Bursa rapidly expanded
until the new Ottoman city
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spread miles beyond
the old Byzantine city walls.
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In Bursa,
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the legacy of the Ottoman
Turks is carved in its buildings.
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The message that these
buildings give to me,
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is one of permanence -
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it is as it the Ottomans were saying
to the peoples they conquered
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by the creation of these newly built
environments
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“Oh by the way, we're here to stay."
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They didn't have the need to live
behind walled cities,
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they didn't feel the need.
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So when I look at this panorama,
it all spells permanence.
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The Ottomans transformed Bursa
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into a staging post
for a new world empire.
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The Ottoman advance was rapid.
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Ravaged by centuries of isolation,
plague and war,
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the Byzantine capital,
was surrounded by Ottoman forces.
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Control of this strategic location
was essential.
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As a bridge into the Balkans,
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it would unify Ottoman territory
in both Europe and Asia
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and give the new Ottoman state
international status.
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The huge Christian metropolis,
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known then simply as “The City",
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had been founded
a thousand years earlier
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by the Roman Emperor Constantine.
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It controlled the straits
where Asia and Europe meet.
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It had seen far greater days -
but was still a daunting prize.
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The dream of a great Ottoman empire,
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would be realised by one
extraordinary man,
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the direct descendant of Osman -
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Sultan Mehmet ll.
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In 1453 Mehmet was just 21 years old.
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His entire life had been
a preparation for this moment.
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Over 100 specially built Ottoman
warships lay at anchor
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in the Marmara Sea...
and waited.
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On land, Mehmet mustered
a 100,000-strong force
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led by his own household troops -
the Janissaries.
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Armourers and engineers wheeled
enormous cannon
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and siege machines
into position.
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Their target -
the walls of Constantinople.
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Inside the walls,
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the Byzantines were
a meagre force,
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reliant on the strength
of their city's defences.
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These walls are absolutely
wonderful.
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Down this way you can see them
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dropping down
towards the Golden Horn.
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Up this way, you can see
the magnificent land walls.
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They stride away into the distance
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and they look like they could
protect Constantinople almost tor ever...
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But there's a catch,
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the higher ground that
you can see behind the modern road.
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That is the Achilles' heel,
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a place where the Ottomans
could put their cannon...
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And a bit of elevation
would allow them
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to really pick on this section
of the walls.
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This was the weakest part
of the city's defences.
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That meant that Christian defenders
had to base their best troops here.
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I think it's hard to imagine
what it's like to be somewhere
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for 40-odd days with guns smashing
the place to bits day after day,
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night after night.
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A series of night attacks so
that the Christians couldn't rest,
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drums, cymbals,
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a real sort of psychological
onslaught on the place.
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The Christian defenders could try
and repair the damage,
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Every so often they would put
barrels of earth there...
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wood, rubble blocking the gaps.
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But ultimately you can repair things
so many times
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but there is an end point.
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Final onslaught comes,
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the Christians defend the walls
bravely time after time.
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The Genoese commander,
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their great talismanic figure
is wounded in the arm.
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This is a disaster
because he goes to seek help,
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it's misinterpreted,
they think he's running away,
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and this causes the whole stretch
of defenders
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along this wall to lose heart.
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That really is the turning point.
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The Ottomans get
a great hold on the wall,
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the dam is burst
and they plunge into the city.
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Triumphant, Mehmet the Conqueror
was now Sultan
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of a new Ottoman Empire.
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To set the seal on his victory,
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Mehmet headed straight
to the spiritual heart
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of the old Byzantine city.
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To claim an ancient Christian
throne...
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"the Hagia Sophia,
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meaning the Church of Holy Wisdom.
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This was the largest cathedral
in the world
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for nearly 1000 years.
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When he walked in here
Mehmet must have known
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that he'd achieved
his ultimate, ultimate ambition.
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He'd smashed the Byzantine Empire.
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This place was the spiritual
heartland of Byzantium
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it's the place where emperors
were crowned and now it was his.
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Years of struggle were over.
He had triumphed.
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After the conquest,
Mehmet's troops looted the city,
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starting to strip the Hagia Sophia
of its precious icons and relics.
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It must have been complete chaos
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when Mehmet came in here
just after the conquest.
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The place would have been a wreck.
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Yet it was still this wonderful,
wonderful structure.
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He saw a man hacking up the floor
and said “What are you doing?"
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The man said
“I'm doing it for the faith".
245
00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:08,643
Mehmet was furious and he said
246
00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:12,561
“I told you to keep
the structure of the place intact.
247
00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,890
“I want this building for myself
for the Ottomans and for Islam."
248
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,841
Mehmet had no intention of destroying
the Hagia Sophia,
249
00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:47,690
he planned to adapt it.
250
00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,850
As a symbol of the arrival
of the Ottomans,
251
00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,601
he converted the Hagia Sophia
into an Ottoman mosque.
252
00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,208
Mehmet changed
the Hagia Sophia
253
00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,051
by stamping an Islamic identity
on it.
254
00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:04,242
It had been
a Christian power station
255
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:08,365
and now he really needed to erase
that as much as he possibly could.
256
00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:12,488
Mehmet installed a minbar,
257
00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,206
from which the Imam
would deliver sermons.
258
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,810
And in the apse where the Christian
altar used to stand,
259
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,369
he built a mihrab,
pointing towards Mecca.
260
00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,327
Walking through the Hagia Sophia's
corridors today
261
00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,251
is like walking back in time.
262
00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:45,570
The worn flagstones and dense
brickwork date back over 1500 years.
263
00:23:57,120 --> 00:24:02,763
Today there are still visible remains
of Hagia Sophia's lustrous mosaics,
264
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,800
an unmistakable symbol
of its Christian origins.
265
00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:21,411
But, representational imagery such as
this was forbidden in Islamic law -
266
00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:23,762
and all the mosaics were whitewashed.
267
00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:33,726
In laying claim
to this magnificent structure -
268
00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,288
Mehmet could assert the power
and authority oi the Ottomans
269
00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,211
over Byzantine civilization.
270
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,243
The Hagia Sophia's four minarets
were added
271
00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,727
over the course of Ottoman rule.
272
00:24:49,560 --> 00:24:52,882
Today they stand as a reminder
of the moment
273
00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:57,529
the Ottomans took control
and created a great new city.
274
00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:08,487
Buondelmonti's map from 1422
is the only surviving map
275
00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:14,289
that shows Byzantine Constantinople
before the Ottoman conquest.
276
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,281
The small details in this map,
277
00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:23,769
compiled by geographer Piri Reis
7O years after the conquest,
278
00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,406
reveals a transition.
279
00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:35,048
Mehmet radically altered the city
with the symbols of Ottoman Islam.
280
00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:40,929
He gave orders to his pashas
to build baths, mosques and madrasas.
281
00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:45,563
From this moment on,
282
00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:51,164
“The City”
became known as Istanbul.
283
00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:56,287
But the Ottomans were not going
to stop here.
284
00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,763
As well a making the mark of Islam
in this ancient city,
285
00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,361
Mehmet had a vision
of a great empire
286
00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:11,804
and one way to drive empire building,
was commerce.
287
00:26:19,120 --> 00:26:21,202
To promote economic growth,
288
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:23,641
Mehmet maintained
Byzantine trading links
289
00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,730
and encouraged the international
traders of Renaissance Europe
290
00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,730
to return to business as usual.
291
00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,523
It is early morning
at the Grand Bazaar,
292
00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:48,042
the largest and oldest market
of its kind in the world.
293
00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,247
Shopkeepers prepare for business.
294
00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:09,965
And at the centre lies a clue
to its Ottoman beginnings.
295
00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:16,724
Based around the original
Byzantine trading street,
296
00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,766
Mehmet founded
the Old Bedesten in 1461.
297
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:23,966
Its labyrinthine vaults
and domed ceilings,
298
00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:26,811
made it a fortress for trade.
299
00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:36,407
The Bedesten is a strongly walled,
steel-doored,
300
00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:39,763
square, central marketplace
301
00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,282
where valuable items,
silks, jewels, gold, are marketed.
302
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,760
The idea is that at night it becomes
a veritable bank if you will,
303
00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:55,124
but it's also a bank where during
the day business is carried out.
304
00:28:02,360 --> 00:28:07,810
These doors have opened every day
for almost 600 years.
305
00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:19,802
Over the life of the empire,
306
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,447
the covered bazaar expanded
to its current size,
307
00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:27,884
today the biggest market
in the world, with 5000 shops.
308
00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:36,009
These well-worn streets see a quarter
of a million visitors every day.
309
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:38,965
And today's Turkish traders
still sell many of the same goods
310
00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:41,970
that drew travellers and merchants
311
00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:45,528
from all over the world
into the Ottoman marketplace.
312
00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:36,884
Today, no matter where we go
in the world
313
00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:39,082
we're surrounded by malls
314
00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:43,763
and that mall in a way
is an extension of this concept
315
00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:45,644
of the covered bazaar.
316
00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:51,122
Just as the Ottoman bazaar and the population of
Istanbul begin a phase of exponential growth,
317
00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:55,803
Mehmet's empire enters
its fastest-growing phase.
318
00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:00,527
The Ottomans move eastward,
319
00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:02,370
taking over Turkic beyliks
320
00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:05,166
and the last areas of Byzantine
resistance leading
321
00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,204
to their complete domination
of Anatolia.
322
00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:11,881
And they also move north
323
00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:15,926
taking Serbia, Greece, Romania
and the Ukraine.
324
00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,124
As the Ottoman empire grew
in size and power,
325
00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:24,244
it spread its control
further over Europe.
326
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:31,888
But this flourishing empire was
closely regulated and administered
327
00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:35,289
from a central point - Istanbul.
328
00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:40,405
So to consolidate
his new-found power,
329
00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:44,127
Mehmet began building
a new Ottoman palace -
330
00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:47,244
it was named Topkapi.
331
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,480
And he chose
an extremely important location -
332
00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:58,161
the site was the ancient
acropolis of Byzantium.
333
00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:04,840
Set upon the highest ground
in the city,
334
00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:09,841
Topkapi Palace is shaded from
the bustle of the city by woodland,
335
00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:13,089
extending all the way down
to the Bosporus shore.
336
00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:22,841
The basic layout
of this new royal residence
337
00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,725
was established in Mehmet's time.
338
00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:28,287
Over centuries of Ottoman rule,
339
00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:31,324
the Topkapi complex became the byword
for opulence,
340
00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,000
as later sultans enhanced
341
00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:36,851
its elaborate, ornate chambers
and pavilions.
342
00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:44,763
Topkapi Palace is the expression
of Mehmet's desire
343
00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:47,406
to create a centralised empire
344
00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:50,763
which would equal
its European counterparts -
345
00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:54,282
even rival the legacy
of the Roman Empire.
346
00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,520
After taking Constantinople,
347
00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:05,770
this is where Mehmet pulled
his new empire together.
348
00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:10,684
He was a military hero
conquering new land.
349
00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:14,521
This gives him enormous prestige
and clout.
350
00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:17,644
I mean, now the Ottoman Empire
is a global empire
351
00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:19,763
in a sense of the globe
in that period
352
00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:22,691
and he could make
great claims as to who he was.
353
00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:27,207
I, Mehmet, son of Murad,
son of Mehmet,
354
00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,880
Ruler of the Black Sea
and the Mediterranean Sea,
355
00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:31,366
Romalia and Anatolia,
356
00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:33,483
Ruler of this, that,
that and that
357
00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:35,523
and they got to add more conquests.
358
00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:40,808
They saw themselves as commanders
of many old empires and regions.
359
00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:48,244
I think we could say
he was a 360-degree sultan
360
00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:52,764
in a sense that the world around him
needed to pay attention to him.
361
00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:17,485
In Western eyes,
Mehmet was the terror of the world.
362
00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,490
But as well as being a successful
military leader,
363
00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:23,126
Mehmet was also a ruler
of the Renaissance,
364
00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:27,041
primed to negotiate the Eastern
and Western cultural horizons
365
00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:30,244
of his new empire.
366
00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:39,003
At Topkapi Palace he created a
sophisticated machine for government.
367
00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:42,170
He gathered the most highly skilled
people in the empire
368
00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:46,081
and brought them to the palace
to form a new Ottoman elite.
369
00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:52,004
This is where the sultan lived.
370
00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:54,726
It's very quiet right now
as you look around,
371
00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:57,890
looks very pastoral, but you have
to imagine it full of people,
372
00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:00,287
quiet, disciplined,
walking in the prescribed way
373
00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:02,608
but rather full of people.
374
00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:04,290
Who were those people?
375
00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:07,569
They were the sultan's
personal servants
376
00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:09,888
but perhaps more importantly,
377
00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,687
this third courtyard was
something like a royal academy
378
00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:17,089
for training the sultan's officers.
379
00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:23,371
These officers were the Sultan's
personal servants and advisors.
380
00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:27,326
But, they were not the traditional
Muslim advisors of his forefathers.
381
00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:31,206
They were a Christian-born
intelligentsia.
382
00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,131
Selected from within
the Ottoman territories,
383
00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:36,561
these Christian servants or kuls,
384
00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:40,845
were converted to Islam
and trained the Ottoman way.
385
00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:51,411
The ones who did very well
would be chosen
386
00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,046
for the Sultan's own private room.
387
00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:58,921
The best would acquire titles like,
the Sultan's Linen Bearer,
388
00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:02,124
the Sultan's Stirrup Holder
389
00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:04,561
and these titles were very important
political titles,
390
00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:06,285
but they are service titles.
391
00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:13,164
This was an Ottoman meritocracy.
392
00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:16,887
Being trained to serve in Mehmet's
palace chambers could lead
393
00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:20,482
all the way to the top
of the Ottoman political hierarchy.
394
00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:33,007
This is where Mehmet pulled the
bureaucracy of his empire together -
395
00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:38,209
here he ran his centralised state.
396
00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:45,482
The Ottoman bureaucracy would meet
at the Imperial Council.
397
00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:54,925
This is really the seat
of Ottoman Government.
398
00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:58,647
Here is where the major decisions
are taken by the Sultanate,
399
00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:01,241
were discussed
and decided.
400
00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:04,250
They discussed military policy,
foreign affairs.
401
00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:08,729
They were also responsible
for the smooth running of the empire
402
00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:11,082
which meant that they were
constantly having information
403
00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:13,521
coming in from the provinces
404
00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:15,961
and responding to questions from
their officials.
405
00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,766
So there was
quite a flow of information.
406
00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,449
Over 400 years ago, the Head of the
Chancery, the leading judges
407
00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:32,647
and the ministers of the treasury
would have gathered in this room.
408
00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:37,607
Led by the sultan's most powerful
official - his Grand Vizier.
409
00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:47,969
Here, Sultan Mehmet ll issued the
first Ottoman Imperial Law Code.
410
00:36:50,720 --> 00:36:54,930
Delegates, princes and diplomats
from the West and the East
411
00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:58,841
were received
in this room by the Ottoman elite.
412
00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:04,922
And, most remarkably,
413
00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,203
even the lowliest Ottoman subject
had the right
414
00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:12,610
to pass through the palace gates
for an audience with the sultan.
415
00:37:18,720 --> 00:37:22,167
Ordinary people had the right
to come to Istanbul
416
00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:24,601
and submit a petition
to the sultan.
417
00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,248
In fact, there's a story
418
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:31,081
that has to do with the existence
of this window up here.
419
00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:33,601
The story is about
Mehmet the Conqueror,
420
00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:35,882
who would sit with his council
421
00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:39,004
deliberating affairs
and making decisions.
422
00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:40,486
This alleged peasant comes in
423
00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:43,286
and he's got his petition
and he says
424
00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:45,642
“Which one of you is the Sultan?"
425
00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:47,683
Which of course insulted the Sultan.
426
00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:51,441
So the story goes that the Sultan
gradually withdrew himself
427
00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:53,130
from council deliberations.
428
00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:55,209
But he had this room constructed
up here.
429
00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:57,846
There's a small room
behind this grill.
430
00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:00,964
And the Sultan would sometimes come,
sometimes not come.
431
00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:04,050
The Council would never know
when he was going to be there.
432
00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:06,846
The point being
that he was always scrutinising
433
00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:09,407
the correctness
of their deliberations.
434
00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:33,647
But this was not only a regime
435
00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:37,890
that gave men a chance to prosper
inside Topkapi.
436
00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,689
Inside the palace was another,
private, training ground...
437
00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:51,281
exclusively for women.
438
00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:55,571
The harem.
439
00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:04,921
The women in the harem,
at all stages,
440
00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:07,248
were recruited like the men
441
00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,364
who were serving the Sultan
as Janissaries,
442
00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:13,131
as famous pashas.
443
00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:16,210
They all are Christian in origin.
444
00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:20,008
They may come in
as prisoners of war.
445
00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:22,407
They may come in on the slave market
446
00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:25,809
or they may come in as gifts.
447
00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,002
They're being taught
cultural skills,
448
00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:29,804
how to converse politely,
449
00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:34,642
some of them are expert musicians,
poets. They perform.
450
00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:38,003
So it is a place
where women are being trained
451
00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:40,202
for service to the dynasty.
452
00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:44,127
Traditionally, the image
of the Ottoman harem
453
00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:46,641
is one of pleasure,
and seduction.
454
00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,730
But, as the Harem expanded
within Topkapi Palace,
455
00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:53,288
it brought women
into the heart of government.
456
00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:58,842
Originally from places like Bulgaria,
Georgia, and Macedonia,
457
00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:02,681
the women of the harem
had converted to Islam.
458
00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:07,080
And through bearing the sultan's son,
459
00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:10,409
some harem women were responsible
for the political training
460
00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:13,331
of successors
to the Ottoman sultanate.
461
00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:18,765
Others became part of the Ottoman
political arena
462
00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:22,681
by marrying the male trainees
in the palace.
463
00:40:24,240 --> 00:40:27,323
What they often did was to marry
a graduate,
464
00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:30,763
if you want to say,
of the female harem, so to speak,
465
00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:33,008
to the male side
of the palace training.
466
00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:36,409
And in that way it was clever
of the dynasty -
467
00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:38,329
they had a kind
of a satellite household.
468
00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:41,729
Woman is from the palace,
man is from the palace.
469
00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:52,326
Mehmet's circle drew together
the culture of East and West.
470
00:40:56,840 --> 00:41:00,083
In his court, he kept Persian poets,
471
00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:02,282
Arab and Greek astronomers,
472
00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:04,960
Italian scholars and artists.
473
00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:16,762
This acceptance of diversity
extended far beyond the palace.
474
00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:27,407
The Ottoman heartland acted
as a bridge between Europe and Asia.
475
00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:35,370
Many of the people the Ottomans
had conquered, were non Muslim.
476
00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:40,920
Although sharia was the law
of the land,
477
00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:43,521
the Ottoman system didn't
impose Islamic culture
478
00:41:43,720 --> 00:41:49,045
upon the empire's Christian, Jewish
and other minority communities.
479
00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:55,450
Instead, Mehmet codified a system
480
00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:57,961
that would enable him
to successfully manage
481
00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:00,606
one of the largest empires on Earth.
482
00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:04,407
It was called the Millet system.
483
00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:08,650
It organised Ottoman subjects
together by faith -
484
00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:11,571
into different
millets or nations .
485
00:42:15,240 --> 00:42:17,208
At the Ottoman State Archives,
486
00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:21,086
there is detailed evidence
on how the system worked in practice.
487
00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:33,721
This is one of the largest archives
in the world.
488
00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:41,127
Its millions of documents reveal
how Mehmet's administration
489
00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:44,244
recorded information about
every person in their territories
490
00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:46,522
in exact detail.
491
00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:51,007
And there's one particular case
that highlights the differences
492
00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:54,568
between the European West
and the Ottomans.
493
00:43:00,720 --> 00:43:02,484
In 1492,
494
00:43:02,680 --> 00:43:06,651
the Sephardic Jews were being
expelled from the Iberian peninsula.
495
00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:12,211
The majority of them found a refuge
in the Ottoman Empire.
496
00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:16,530
These meticulous documents
497
00:43:16,720 --> 00:43:18,961
list the names
of the thousands of people
498
00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:21,481
that settled in Ottoman cities.
499
00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:10,285
This shows how waves
of Jewish refugees
500
00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:12,801
integrated into the empire.
501
00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:28,043
Under the Millet System,
minority communities
502
00:45:28,240 --> 00:45:31,130
had comparative social
and religious freedom -
503
00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:34,290
so long as they kept to the rules
and paid their taxes.
504
00:45:40,320 --> 00:45:43,449
The Millet System didn't give
the empire's non-Muslim community
505
00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:45,608
complete equality,
506
00:45:46,560 --> 00:45:50,645
but it allowed the Ottomans to
maintain a stable and peaceful empire
507
00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:53,081
in which trade could flourish.
508
00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:01,166
In ports like Bursa,
trade was the lifeline of the city.
509
00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:10,127
And in great fortified marketplaces
or hans, like Koza Han,
510
00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:13,406
500 years ago
there were thriving communities
511
00:46:13,600 --> 00:46:17,571
of Jews, Christians,
Greeks and Armenians.
512
00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:25,010
We see that
there were Muslim merchants
513
00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:27,680
but they were often in business
with Jewish merchants.
514
00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:31,885
They were often in business
with former Byzantines, er...
515
00:46:32,080 --> 00:46:35,323
so one certainly doesn't get the...
516
00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:37,522
the feeling
in any way
517
00:46:37,720 --> 00:46:39,882
that trade and commerce
in any way
518
00:46:40,080 --> 00:46:44,165
was limited by one's religion
or anything like that.
519
00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:49,450
With its mix of central regulation
520
00:46:49,640 --> 00:46:52,086
and comparative religious
and social freedom,
521
00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:56,080
the Ottoman system allowed trade
to develop within the empire.
522
00:46:59,720 --> 00:47:03,691
But, it also attracted merchants
from outside the empire.
523
00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:11,127
In Renaissance Europe
there was a growing demand
524
00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:13,607
for exotic Ottoman products.
525
00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:17,851
In tact, Italian city states
like Venice -
526
00:47:18,040 --> 00:47:21,442
were entirely dependent on trade
in Ottoman dominions.
527
00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:32,967
They relied on the Ottomans
for luxuries like spices,
528
00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:35,322
leather and textiles.
529
00:47:39,720 --> 00:47:41,688
This Turkish connection was so vital
530
00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:45,441
that even today its legacy
can be seen here in Venice.
531
00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:50,202
Known as the Fondaco dei Turchi,
532
00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:54,610
this grand building served as home,
warehouse, and market
533
00:47:54,800 --> 00:47:57,963
for all the Turkish traders,
living in Venice.
534
00:48:02,040 --> 00:48:05,283
A constant flow of merchants
carried goods between Venice
535
00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:07,482
and port cities like Bursa.
536
00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:12,371
The Italians brought wool,
537
00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:15,325
which they marketed in hans
just like this.
538
00:48:15,520 --> 00:48:19,320
And with the profits from the sale
of that they bought raw silk,
539
00:48:19,520 --> 00:48:21,887
which in turn they exported
back to Italy.
540
00:48:24,120 --> 00:48:27,408
We have records from an Italian
merchant, Francesco de Meringi,
541
00:48:27,600 --> 00:48:32,208
who relates how he sold
and made 1%, 1.5% on the sales.
542
00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:35,688
So I mean it was er, clearly
a very complex market economy,
543
00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:37,803
even at the beginning
of the 15th century.
544
00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:48,610
It was this trade
with places like Venice
545
00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:51,087
that built Bursa into a great city
546
00:48:51,280 --> 00:48:54,170
and fuelled the expansion
of the empire.
547
00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:06,250
The Ottoman dynasty cast its shade
further and further around the world.
548
00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:11,807
Their unrivalled military strength,
549
00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:15,368
economic riches
and territorial expanse
550
00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:18,006
made Sultan Suleyman ll
551
00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:20,680
one of the world's
most powerful rulers.
552
00:49:25,240 --> 00:49:27,049
In the 16th century,
553
00:49:27,240 --> 00:49:30,244
the empire expanded
across three continents.
554
00:49:30,800 --> 00:49:33,451
The Ottomans controlled
much of western Asia,
555
00:49:33,640 --> 00:49:36,883
north Africa
and south-eastern Europe.
556
00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:43,804
Because their principles
and practices
557
00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:46,890
were not tied to any one territory,
558
00:49:47,080 --> 00:49:49,447
the Ottomans were able
to conquer and control
559
00:49:49,640 --> 00:49:52,291
a huge and complex empire.
560
00:49:56,000 --> 00:49:59,447
We see case after case where,
561
00:49:59,640 --> 00:50:02,530
when the Ottomans decided
to move against a territory,
562
00:50:02,720 --> 00:50:07,044
that initially
they proffer an offer:
563
00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:12,249
surrender - and everything
will stay the same.
564
00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:16,921
And one of the things
that they followed very carefully
565
00:50:17,120 --> 00:50:19,600
is a policy
that we call istimalet,
566
00:50:19,800 --> 00:50:21,928
good will, good treatment.
567
00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:25,567
So when the Ottomans come
they bring a kind of Pax Ottomanica,
568
00:50:25,760 --> 00:50:27,842
a kind of Ottoman peace...
569
00:50:30,560 --> 00:50:35,487
That kind of good treatment
must have been a major factor
570
00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:38,251
in how the system
was readily accepted.
571
00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:42,885
And that of course is an important
part I think of their success.
572
00:50:50,200 --> 00:50:54,410
But while Suleyman could claim
that peace reigned within his empire,
573
00:50:54,600 --> 00:50:58,207
he brought war to those lands
that refused his rule.
574
00:51:02,640 --> 00:51:05,849
From Mecca in the east,
to Rome in the west.
575
00:51:06,040 --> 00:51:10,728
Suleyman's ambition was to unite
the world under his sovereignty.
576
00:51:14,880 --> 00:51:17,247
Now, he pushed westward.
577
00:51:24,720 --> 00:51:26,688
Virtually invincible,
578
00:51:26,880 --> 00:51:30,168
the Ottoman elite troops,
the Janisseries,
579
00:51:30,360 --> 00:51:33,842
were the vanguard
of the largest army in Europe.
580
00:51:37,160 --> 00:51:40,209
At the Battle of the Mohacs in 1526,
581
00:51:40,400 --> 00:51:45,964
victorious Sultan Suleyman
forged new frontiers, into Hungary.
582
00:51:49,840 --> 00:51:51,604
Three years later,
583
00:51:51,800 --> 00:51:54,849
the 300,000-strong
Ottoman war machine
584
00:51:55,040 --> 00:51:58,567
pushed their way
to the gates of Vienna.
585
00:52:03,960 --> 00:52:07,407
Shockwaves ran
throughout Christian Europe.
586
00:52:10,880 --> 00:52:14,771
Total Ottoman domination
seemed imminent.
587
00:52:22,720 --> 00:52:24,802
The dynasty that had risen
in Anatolia
588
00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:28,049
had spread its influence
far across the world.
589
00:52:31,600 --> 00:52:35,400
The empire had begun
with a tiny independent kingdom
590
00:52:35,600 --> 00:52:38,683
just over 200 years earlier.
591
00:52:40,040 --> 00:52:44,602
But from this simple start
it had found a formula for success.
592
00:52:44,800 --> 00:52:48,282
By using conquest, trade
593
00:52:48,480 --> 00:52:51,848
and promoting the most talented
people it could muster,
594
00:52:52,040 --> 00:52:56,887
it now stood
on the brink of world power.
595
00:53:32,640 --> 00:53:36,611
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