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(HAUNTING 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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(MUSIC BRIGHTENS)
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A fresh perspective,
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charting the spread of civilization
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across the globe,
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from the dawn of mankind
and the first cities and Empires
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to the belief in One God.
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(Calls to prayer)
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We follow the flow of civilisation
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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,
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Africa and Europe for millennia...
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an economic, scientific
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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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(DRAMATIC MUSIC SOARS)
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Istanbul -
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the only city in the world
that sits astride two continents,
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Europe and Asia.
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This was once the capital
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of one of the greatest
imperial powers in history -
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the vast Ottoman Empire.
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(MELANCHOLY ORIENTAL MUSIC)
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As the dream of a great dynasty
became a reality,
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the Ottoman Sultanate developed
into a Renaissance Superpower.
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The dynamism and sophistication
of their court at Topkapi Palace
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inspired both fear and fascination
in the Empire and beyond.
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In its golden age,
the Ottoman Empire
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would become invincible
both on land and sea.
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Revered as THE model -
for state, trade and culture.
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But, a tide of change
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threatened to bring the Age of Empire
crashing to a close.
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There is a real quantum shift
in the 19th century.
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You get the sense
that they realise
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they cannot survive
unless they start to face outwards.
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It was a time when relations
with the West would shape the East.
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This is the story
of the Ottoman Empire and the West.
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(TRAIN HOOTS)
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(DARK MUSIC)
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In the 16th century,
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the Ottoman Empire expanded
across three continents.
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The Ottomans controlled
much of Western Asia,
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North Africa
and South-eastern Europe.
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At the head
of the ruling Ottoman dynasty
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was Sultan Suleiman ll -
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known in the West
as Suleiman the Magnificent.
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(RHYTHMIC MUSIC)
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1529.
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The 300,000-strong
Ottoman war machine
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has pushed its way
to the gates of Vienna.
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Suleiman has shaken Christian Europe
to its core.
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It is a watershed moment in history.
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But after months of siege,
Vienna's defenders prevail.
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The prolonged siege
and upcoming winter
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force the Sultan to change his mind.
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But, although their advance
may have been checked at Vienna,
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the Ottomans were still
a permanent fixture in Europe.
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And within the Empire, their wealth
and potency seemed unaffected.
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One priceless object
in Topkapi Palace
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epitomises the extent
of Suleiman's power.
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Made almost 500 years ago,
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this sword could have been carried
in a court ceremony
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by Suleiman himself,
as a display of royal splendour.
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This sword shows that Suleiman
could obtain the finest resources
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and attract
the most talented craftsmen
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from both inside and outside
the Empire.
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This parchment map was made
around 1560 for Sultan Suleiman
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by cartographer
Al-Hajj Abul Hassan.
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The Ottoman flags flying over places
like Belgrade, Buda and Rhodes
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show that despite the setback
at Vienna,
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much of Europe
was now under Ottoman control.
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And it was not only on land
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that the Ottomans had been
interfering in European concerns.
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Now, Suleiman's navy became
the scourge of the Christian West.
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(MYSTERIOUS MUSIC)
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Behind the scenes
at lstanbul's Naval Museum
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is a restoration warehouse.
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Inside, it houses a unique bounty...
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Ottoman vessels, kept under wraps.
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These are imperial kayaks and galleys
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that once sailed the Black Sea
and Mediterranean...
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The task oi restoring them
to their original glory has begun.
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They are relics of a time
when the Ottomans were known
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by friend and foe alike
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as the “lords of the sea”.
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(SEA THEME)
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This was the age of discovery -
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a time when European states
had begun to colonise the New World
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and trade spices as far afield
as the Indian Ocean.
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Now, Ottoman fleets
attempted to monopolise
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the lucrative trade from the east.
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They captured strategic
island and coastal outposts,
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turning the Mediterranean
into an Ottoman lake.
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To grasp control
of the shipping lanes
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the Ottomans employed
an ingenious tactic.
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The countless pirates, privateers
and corsairs that roamed the seas
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were usually lawless raiders
and traders.
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But, by making shrewd
and tactical alliances,
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Sultan Suleiman turned
the most sea-worthy corsairs
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into Ottoman Admirals.
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This 16th century miniature
shows the Sultan
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receiving the most successful
privateer in Ottoman history.
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His name was Hayreddin Barbarossa.
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Under Barbarossa's command,
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the Ottomans interrupted
vital European sea-borne trade.
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Cities all over Europe saw
their livelihoods hang by a thread.
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(SAD SINGING)
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16th century Europe may have been
divided by internal rivalries,
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but they had a common enemy.
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The Ottomans were such a threat,
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that Western Europe formed
a “Holy League” to defend themselves.
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Two of the largest navies
ever assembled,
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clashed off the coast of Greece
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at Lepanto.
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(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
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In the course of the battle,
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the Ottomans lost four times
as many ships as the Europeans,
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and double the troops.
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(DRAMATIC MUSIC, SCREAMS,
GUNFIRE)
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Lepanto was celebrated
by the Holy League
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as a major victory.
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Now, they hoped to reclaim control
of the Mediterranean.
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But, most importantly,
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the idea that the Ottomans could be
decisively beaten was born.
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In the West, this naval battle
has traditionally been seen
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as a major turning point
in the struggle against the Ottomans.
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But in the East,
this was just a setback.
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(OTTOMAN THEME)
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Within a year, the Ottomans
had rebuilt their fleet.
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Lepanto was far from the end
of Ottoman power.
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In their relations with the Ottomans,
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Europe's mercantile powers
walked a tightrope -
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between alliance and defence.
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Ambassadors from Francis I's France
and Elizabeth I's England
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were sent on diplomatic missions
to the Ottoman court
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as treaties
of “friendship and commerce”
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became essential to their survival.
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In this Ottoman miniature,
King John Sigismund of Hungary
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is depicted paying homage
to Suleiman.
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It reveals the continuing influence
of the Ottomans
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upon the Western world.
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At Topkapi Palace western visitors
discovered an imperial playground
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that could equal any European
Renaissance court -
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in riches, taste
and in the language of kingship.
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Their reports of the splendour
of Suleiman's court
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earned him the title,
Suleiman the Magnificent.
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But perhaps Suleiman's
greatest legacy
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was his creation
of a system of government
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that the world still uses today.
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Topkapi didn't just become
a centre of modern government,
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it became a model of artistic design.
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Here, the Ottomans drew together
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the different artistic styles
of East and West,
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and founded their own
Ottoman means of expression.
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Even after Suleiman's time,
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later sultans
built upon this tradition,
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and endowed the Palace grounds with
ever more elaborate Ottoman designs.
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Today, a restoration team
are replicating the work
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of Ottoman master craftsmen
of the classical age.
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(GENTLE REVERBERATING MUSIC)
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The Revan Pavilion was built in 1635,
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to celebrate the conquest of Yerevan,
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today the capital of Armenia.
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It represents a pinnacle
of the Ottoman artistic legacy -
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fuelled by continuing conquests.
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In the maturity of his reign,
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at the age of 54,
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Suleiman had reached
the zenith of his powers.
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Now, he wanted to leave a lasting and
majestic impression upon Istanbul,
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a symbol of his reign
for all the world to see.
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And he relied
on a well-established genius.
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His name was Sinan.
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The chief architect of the Empire
for 5O years,
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Sinan had designed and supervised
hundreds of Ottoman landmarks
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from Damascus to the capital.
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00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,486
Now Suleiman commissioned Sinan
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to build the tallest,
most extensive complex
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in the history of the capital.
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The Suleimaniye Mosque.
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(THEME MUSIC)
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It is the ultimate expression
of the power of the Ottoman state.
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Even today, its command of the city
is breathtaking.
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As well as a mosque,
Sinan designed four colleges here,
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a soup kitchen, a hamam,
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a kervansaray and a hospital
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as well as the tomb
that would be Sultan Suleiman's
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final resting place.
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The Suleimaniye complex quickly
became the focal point of the city.
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RHYTHMIC CHANTING)
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The conformity
of intricate geometric shapes
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was the culmination
of Sinan's lifelong effort
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to achieve a unified space,
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capturing in stone the ordered
Ottoman view of the world.
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00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:42,809
Traditionally,
the late 17th and 18th centuries
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are considered the beginning
of the end for the Ottoman Empire.
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00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,685
But, in reality,
the Empire was thriving.
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(LIVELY ORIENTAL MUSIC)
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The Empire stretched across Africa,
Asia and Europe -
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00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:04,486
from Algiers to Mosul
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00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,923
and from Medina
to the gates of Vienna.
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00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,650
The Ottomans controlled
the crossroads of trade routes
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coming from every continent
and sub-continent
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between East and West.
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Ottoman merchants were prospering
in the capital
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and the coastal provinces.
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The small town of Birgi
in western Anatolia
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retains its Ottoman character today,
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00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:41,767
and amidst the traditional houses,
is an echo of this time of plenty.
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(BRIGHT MUSIC)
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Built in 1761,
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00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,126
largely preserved
in its original state,
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Cakir Aga Mansion seems,
at first sight,
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00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,568
to be a typical wooden mansion
of western Anatolia.
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This magnificent three-storey
building
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00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:31,000
belonged to Serif Aliaga,
the owner of the local tannery.
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00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:39,205
Yet the small details
in the mansion's decor
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reveal that Serif Aliaga's world
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00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:44,287
extended far beyond Anatolia.
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Western motifs reflect the ideas
carried into Ottoman harbours
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00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:53,370
by the French, English, Dutch
and Venetian traders
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00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:55,642
that flowed in and out of Birgi.
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00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:12,930
And there's a story hidden
in the friezes of Cakir Aga mansion.
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00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:17,923
Serif Aliaga's two wives,
one from the vibrant capital Istanbul
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and the other from the Aegean
trading port of Izmir,
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were pining for their hometowns.
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A solution was found...
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00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,364
as a comfort to them,
Serif Aliaga had their cities
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painted on their bedroom walls.
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Izmir in this room
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Istanbul in this,
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capturing in miniature,
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00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,164
what was the economic powerhouse
of the Empire
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over 500 km to the north.
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00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,291
(ORIENTAL STRUMMING)
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00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:07,889
But the arrival of the modern age
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would present the Ottomans
with new challenges,
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00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:13,408
with pressure and influence
from Europe
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00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,001
penetrating all the way to Istanbul.
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The Ottoman elite
began to change their outlook...
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00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:29,888
It you travel along the Bosphorus
in Istanbul today,
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00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:33,163
you can still find clues
as to how the Ottoman world
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00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:34,885
was in transition.
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00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,041
The Bosphorus is a good example
of how things are changing.
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00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,323
By the 18th century you have
an explosion of the old centre.
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The Palace is no longer contained
within the limits of the city.
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00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,886
The Sultanas, the Palace,
the Sultan himself
251
00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:51,889
will start to use the Bosphorus
252
00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:55,801
as a place where you can flaunt
and display your splendour
253
00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:00,210
by implanting these new kinds
of mansions, seaside mansions.
254
00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,966
The Ottomans began to build elaborate
western-style architecture
255
00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,845
along the shore of the Bosphorus
256
00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,245
If you look
at some of these mansions,
257
00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:16,047
they're generally built
so as to enjoy
258
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,288
the scenery of the Bosphorus.
259
00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:20,289
The rest, that is the backside,
260
00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:24,644
is used as a, as a huge garden where
you'd have your Harem and whatever,
261
00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:29,004
but the stately mansion
would be right on the sea.
262
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,568
And that's a way of enjoying the
city that did not exist previously.
263
00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:38,769
This new pleasure culture was not
only promoted by the Ottoman elite.
264
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:41,563
More and more European diplomats
265
00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,923
retired to grand new
waterfront embassies.
266
00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:50,844
The Bosphorus has become
a grand canal
267
00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:54,169
ii you take Venice as an example -
this is a huge canal
268
00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:56,931
where people are basically
expressing their power
269
00:27:57,120 --> 00:28:00,283
by their residences
and by their sheer presence
270
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:02,926
on this stretch of water.
271
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,167
This grand waterway
is the age-old dividing line
272
00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:17,284
between the continents
of Europe and Asia.
273
00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,848
It has been an important trade route
since ancient times.
274
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,200
Now, as European trade
with the Americas
275
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,882
began to eclipse
the old Mediterranean markets,
276
00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,050
a new world order was emerging.
277
00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:38,889
If you look at the 18th century
278
00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,129
you already have a sense of society
that is changing.
279
00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,243
The Mediterranean
is being marginalised.
280
00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:46,807
That is true of the Ottomans,
it's true of Venice,
281
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,729
it's also true of the Spaniards.
282
00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:51,161
What is rising
is the Atlantic economies,
283
00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:55,126
it's the Dutch, the English,
to a certain extent the French -
284
00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:58,369
so the world is changing
the balance of the world is changing
285
00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,367
and in that new world
the Ottomans feel
286
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,769
they no longer have a hold
on modernity,
287
00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:07,928
on what is happening.
288
00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,889
(CROWD HOWLS, APPREHENSIVE
MUSIC)
289
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:17,810
Ever since the French revolution
in 1789,
290
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,449
the spark of nationalism within
the Empire had been fanned to flame...
291
00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:26,611
(GUNFIRE)
292
00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:29,807
In a newly industrialised world,
293
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:33,368
a great wave of radical
social and political unrest
294
00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:35,369
was building momentum.
295
00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:42,164
With the backing of European powers,
the Empire's non-Muslim minorities
296
00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,250
demanded independence
from the Ottoman state.
297
00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:52,051
And in 1827, disaster struck -
298
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:54,766
in support of the Greek
Battle for Independence,
299
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,281
Britain, France and Russia
300
00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:00,450
completely annihilated
the Ottoman fleet
301
00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:03,291
in the Battle of Navarino.
302
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:09,004
Nationalism had begun
to rip the Ottoman world apart.
303
00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,767
In 1830 they were forced
to grant Greece their independence
304
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:17,804
and their control of Egypt was
in little more than name alone.
305
00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:22,809
In 1875 Serbia, Montenegro,
Wallachia and Moldavia
306
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:25,048
also declared their independence.
307
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:32,091
And in 1878 the Ottomans lost control
of Bulgaria,
308
00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,806
Bosnia Herzegovina and Romania.
309
00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:40,448
Ravaged by war - the map
of the Empire was being redrawn.
310
00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,402
(DARK MUSIC)
311
00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:50,085
There was a pressing need
312
00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,727
to prevent the total disintegration
of the Empire.
313
00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:00,482
This Royal Edict of Reform
is part of a movement
314
00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:03,126
that would change
the Ottoman state forever -
315
00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:08,201
and it was called the Tanzimat,
meaning “reorganisation”.
316
00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:13,887
The Ottoman elite began to reorder
its administration -
317
00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:18,130
but this time
along Western European lines.
318
00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:23,640
Nowhere was this need for
reorganisation felt more strongly
319
00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,524
than in the military.
320
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:31,242
Uniforms and artillery were bought
from Britain and France.
321
00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,643
Gradually a modern Ottoman army
emerged.
322
00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:43,285
The Ottoman Sultanate needed
to deter attack from outside forces
323
00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:45,448
in the East and the West -
324
00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:49,122
and develop highly visible symbols
of central control -
325
00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:52,244
even in the furthest
reaches of the Empire.
326
00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:07,040
Over 1200 km from Istanbul,
327
00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:10,881
on the eastern flanks of Anatolia,
328
00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:13,970
standing on the Silk Road,
329
00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:18,404
near the Iranian border and facing
Mount Ararat -
330
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:23,722
the effect of the emerging
new world order is evident.
331
00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:28,321
Ishak Pasa Palace.
332
00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:31,407
(REVERBERATING MUSIC)
333
00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:33,762
This extraordinary fortified palace
334
00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:38,648
was vital to Ottoman control
of these tough borderlands.
335
00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:45,247
It was a strategic hub in
the two-year long territorial dispute
336
00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:49,286
between the Ottoman and Persian
Empires in the early 19th century.
337
00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:53,763
This palace sits
at a crossroads of civilization.
338
00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:05,447
Its flamboyant architectural fabric
339
00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,644
reflects a fusion of Persian,
Georgian, Armenian,
340
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:11,684
Seljuk, Ottoman and Western styles.
341
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:20,489
Inside,
it bears many of the hallmarks
342
00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:22,603
of a miniature Topkapi Palace.
343
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,044
Complete with law courts, harem,
344
00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:32,244
and a magnificent private mosque
of imperial dimensions.
345
00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:41,729
Here, carved inscriptions
of Qur'anic verses line the walls.
346
00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:46,730
Built at central government's
command,
347
00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:50,447
lshak Pasa Palace was closely
controlled from Istanbul
348
00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:52,881
for almost two centuries.
349
00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:59,645
It is the ultimate symbol
of Ottoman power in Eastern Anatolia.
350
00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:05,847
Proof of Ottoman efforts
to maintain
351
00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:09,169
even the most remote
reaches of its Empire.
352
00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:18,483
(MUTED PRAYER)
353
00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:22,370
In a similar way,
Ottoman central government
354
00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:26,167
developed close control
of the sacred Hajj route - in Syria.
355
00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:31,366
(CALL FOR PRAYER)
356
00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:35,360
Damascus,
a jewel in the Ottoman crown
357
00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:38,040
reflecting the wealth
of the Empire.
358
00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:41,882
Benefiting from far eastern trade
along the Hajj route,
359
00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:45,368
and European trade through
the Eastern Mediterranean ports
360
00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:51,761
Damascus became a home for a local
version of Ottoman modernism.
361
00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:10,570
Tucked away in the maze-like
alleyways of the old city
362
00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:13,331
is a hidden 19th century treasure.
363
00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:22,569
Built in 1830,
364
00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:26,207
Beit Nizam once
housed affluent merchant families.
365
00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:34,605
At face value it's a traditional
Damascus house.
366
00:35:37,240 --> 00:35:40,449
Damascene houses
are famous for this design.
367
00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:42,688
Er, it all revolves
around the courtyard.
368
00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:44,370
The courtyard is the heart.
369
00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:47,564
It's always big
with trees and fountains,
370
00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:52,084
and on the southern side
you always have this eyvan
371
00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:54,681
which is where you'd receive
your guests.
372
00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:02,368
But look closely and there are clues
to the close connection
373
00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:05,609
between Istanbul and Damascus
in the 19th century.
374
00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:08,602
Within this Ottoman-Arabic setting
375
00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:12,122
the effects of the new and old
are there on the walls.
376
00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:18,291
If you look at the ornamentation
over here,
377
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:22,565
this is very typical - it goes
back to maybe the 13th century.
378
00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:26,526
But then around the 1830s
we start to see something new.
379
00:36:26,720 --> 00:36:28,722
This is what we call
Ottoman Baroque,
380
00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,481
and you see a much more sort of
voluptuous design, if you want,
381
00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:34,284
a much more high relief,
382
00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,848
a three-dimensional carving,
very, very busy.
383
00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:44,962
Ottoman Baroque is a very special
part of interior design history
384
00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,162
because it's directly linked
385
00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:50,648
with the Ottoman Empire's
attempts to modernise.
386
00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:57,321
Nizam House reveals
that Sultan Mahmud ll's reforms
387
00:36:57,520 --> 00:36:59,921
had successfully improved
the relationship
388
00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:02,885
between the palace and the provinces.
389
00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:09,126
This is called Ka'at el-Enab
meaning the Hall of Grapes
390
00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:13,644
because of this extensive carving,
and gilded stucco,
391
00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:17,686
it's just very crazily,
ridiculously, heavily ornamented -
392
00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:20,360
inspired straight out of Versailles
if you like,
393
00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:23,769
but actually,
it's coming from Istanbul.
394
00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:31,921
Walls that would have been blank
in a typical Damascene house
395
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:35,681
were for the first time adorned
with Italian-style frescoes.
396
00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:41,047
Istanbul had become
a symbol of modernity
397
00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:43,447
for the whole Ottoman world.
398
00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:49,806
Here we have carvings
of Istanbul landscapes,
399
00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:51,809
a dome, a minaret.
400
00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:55,561
So, fusing an Islamic
Ottoman identity
401
00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,843
with the wealth and power
of the baroque style
402
00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:00,804
which was prominent in Europe.
403
00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:04,891
And the Ottoman identity...
if you look up at the ceiling
404
00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:08,448
you immediately see the symbols
of the Ottoman Sultan.
405
00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:19,529
It's really expressing
this Ottoman desire to modernise
406
00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:23,247
and to step up to what's happening
in European culture
407
00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:24,885
and to be on equal footing,
408
00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:27,731
while also retaining its integrity
and its identity
409
00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:31,367
at a time of a lot of crisis
and pressure happening.
410
00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,286
(NERVOUS MUSIC)
411
00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:40,485
But, in spite of these efforts
to maintain control of the Empire,
412
00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:44,730
the economic and political axis
of the world tilted west.
413
00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:52,089
Now, as newly industrialised
European factories
414
00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:54,487
churned out manufactured goods -
415
00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:56,643
household wares,
416
00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:59,002
even cotton fabrics woven in Europe
417
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:02,761
started to take over the stalls
in Ottoman bazaars.
418
00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:08,283
Gold poured out
from the coffers of the Empire.
419
00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:12,521
And countries like Britain and France
420
00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:14,882
began to use their economic advantage
421
00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:19,369
to demand more favourable
trade treaties with the Ottomans.
422
00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:22,683
As these two worlds interacted,
423
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:27,249
Ottoman culture would leave a lasting
impression on the European West.
424
00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:32,682
The fascination
with the Ottoman world,
425
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:36,441
was part of a rising Western
academic movement -
426
00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:38,611
Orientalism.
427
00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:43,649
For the first time, translations
of great Middle Eastern works
428
00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:48,289
such as the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
and the Arabian Nights
429
00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:50,801
were reaching markets in the West -
430
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,641
and their translators
were European travellers...
431
00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:03,649
In Mortlake Cemetery in London
432
00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:08,323
there is the tomb of one of the most
famous Orientalist adventurers:
433
00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:13,367
Richard Burton - translator
of the 1001 Arabian Nights.
434
00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:19,002
The impact of
the Arabian Nights
435
00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:22,568
on 18th, 19th and 20th
literature is massive.
436
00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:25,366
I think there's no book in
the world except the Bible
437
00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:27,961
that had a bigger influence
on British literature.
438
00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:34,048
Inside the tomb are objects gathered
on Burton's travels
439
00:40:34,240 --> 00:40:36,925
in the Ottoman-controlled
Middle East.
440
00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:40,205
The things we see hanging here
441
00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:44,485
were accumulated while
he and Isabelle were in Damascus,
442
00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:46,648
when Burton was serving
as Consul there.
443
00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:48,285
He collected all sorts of stuff.
444
00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:51,844
These camel bells you see here,
were important for Burton -
445
00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:54,281
they had kind of
symbolic significance.
446
00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:06,402
Burton made clandestine journeys
to Mecca and Medina -
447
00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:09,128
one of the first Europeans to explore
448
00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:13,086
the distant and relatively unknown
lands of the Hajj.
449
00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:25,481
The Royal Geographical Society
somewhat hesitantly sponsored
450
00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:29,082
Burton's extremely dangerous
pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.
451
00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:32,568
It was dangerous because
he was doing it in disguise;
452
00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:35,843
if that disguise was uncovered
and he was revealed to be an infidel
453
00:41:36,040 --> 00:41:38,281
he'd almost certainly
have been killed on the spot.
454
00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:46,010
I think Burton's love of the Orient
455
00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:49,249
is a product of his revulsion
against British society -
456
00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:52,410
it's stuffiness, it's conformity,
it's Victorianism,
457
00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:56,730
it's lack of adventure, he much
preferred Islam to Christianity.
458
00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:01,564
Burton's tales are celebrated
459
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:04,923
as masterpieces
of 19th century literature.
460
00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:12,526
But they also established an image
of the Middle East
461
00:42:12,720 --> 00:42:15,690
as a place of intrigue
and uncertainty.
462
00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:24,249
Artists, inspired
by the likes of Burton,
463
00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:28,081
travelled and painted romanticised
versions of the Orient.
464
00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:32,208
Frequently there was a sensual,
dangerous side
465
00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:34,243
to Orientalist paintings.
466
00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:38,851
I think what's fascinating
about this time,
467
00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:40,804
is that the East
is either portrayed
468
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:44,004
as being very, very good
or very, very bad.
469
00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:45,611
So you have these two versions,
470
00:42:45,800 --> 00:42:48,326
you have the bloodthirsty Moor,
the bloodthirsty Turk.
471
00:42:48,520 --> 00:42:53,651
And then this very romantic idea
of this sensuous, mystical place
472
00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:56,844
where everything is wonderful,
where the air smells sweet.
473
00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:00,562
This is a time of colonialism.
474
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:03,240
So it's almost as if
the West is saying
475
00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:06,887
“We are now in charge
of portions of the East.
476
00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:08,366
“We're almost unveiling it."
477
00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:13,524
Also, it is a very difficult place
to get hold of -
478
00:43:13,720 --> 00:43:15,131
it does have its own mystery -
479
00:43:15,320 --> 00:43:18,051
and I think that's what's
being realised in the painting
480
00:43:18,240 --> 00:43:22,006
that even though the West is
physically in many Eastern lands -
481
00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:26,728
it still can't quite grab
the essence of what the East is.
482
00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:43,562
In the real world
of the Ottoman Empire,
483
00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:45,603
successive Sultans were battling
484
00:43:45,800 --> 00:43:48,485
to keep their increasingly
disparate peoples together.
485
00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:55,802
The Tanzimat reforms
made a break with tradition,
486
00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:58,890
leaving behind
the old Millet system,
487
00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:02,971
granting the Empire's minority
communities or “nations"
488
00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:06,323
equal status
with its Muslim citizens.
489
00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:13,563
In this Imperial Reform Edict
Sultan Abdulmecid I pledged
490
00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:17,128
that any distinction that made any
of his subjects inferior to another -
491
00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:21,609
on account of their religion,
language, or race -
492
00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:25,282
would be forever effaced
from the Administrative Protocol.
493
00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:33,969
As their efforts to keep up
with the West increased,
494
00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:37,243
the Ottoman Sultanate moved
to a new seat of power.
495
00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:42,050
(CHANT)
496
00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:50,691
Today the Turkish Palace Guards
still protect Dolmabahce Palace.
497
00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:54,523
The ultimate Rococo monument,
498
00:44:54,720 --> 00:44:58,042
it wouldn't look out of place
amongst the chateaux of France.
499
00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:04,409
This lavish palace represents
the pinnacle of the Tanzimat era.
500
00:45:10,200 --> 00:45:13,329
(EERIE MUSIC)
501
00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:18,645
But, despite having all the trappings
of a great European nation,
502
00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:22,686
Ottoman westernisation
had only touched the surface.
503
00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:36,682
Beneath the palace's rich facade,
504
00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:41,124
the limits of the Tanzimat reforms
were beginning to show.
505
00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:50,645
The Ottoman administration's efforts
had not been enough
506
00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:52,888
to convince each different “nation"
507
00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:56,448
that their future lay
within the Empire.
508
00:46:01,240 --> 00:46:03,925
The Tanzimat was obviously something
that started very well
509
00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:06,043
in the 1840s, '50s -
510
00:46:06,240 --> 00:46:09,847
but it's true that the Tanzimat
was doomed in a sense
511
00:46:10,040 --> 00:46:12,930
because it was very difficult
for an Empire
512
00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:16,966
to really er, transform itself
to the point of suiting
513
00:46:17,160 --> 00:46:20,369
all the necessities
and the desires, the expectations
514
00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:22,528
of nations, of nation states.
515
00:46:22,720 --> 00:46:26,725
So it was doomed from the start in
the sense that it was too complex,
516
00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:31,369
it was too modern in a sense for
the structure of the Ottoman Empire.
517
00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:38,490
Dolmabahce Palace is adorned
with exquisitely crafted
518
00:46:38,680 --> 00:46:42,526
furnishing and ornaments -
mostly from Europe.
519
00:46:44,520 --> 00:46:46,727
The centrepiece
of the ceremonial hall
520
00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:50,686
is the world's largest
Bohemian crystal chandelier-
521
00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:54,566
a gift from Queen Victoria
of Great Britain.
522
00:46:57,800 --> 00:47:00,121
It dominates the room -
523
00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:03,563
a symbol of the influence
of European powers
524
00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:06,730
at the very heart
of the Ottoman administration.
525
00:47:10,720 --> 00:47:14,725
Westernization had been
a very expensive process.
526
00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:20,726
Until 1850, the Ottoman Empire
was the only Empire of the age,
527
00:47:20,920 --> 00:47:23,605
never to have contracted
foreign debt.
528
00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:29,240
But now, the Ottoman state
began to rely on European capital.
529
00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:35,804
Dolmabahce Palace is a palace that
speaks of power, of flaunting power.
530
00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:38,685
It's really the embodiment
of a modern Empire
531
00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:40,530
or an Empire
that's trying to modernise.
532
00:47:40,720 --> 00:47:43,690
And there's a cost to that,
there's a price to pay
533
00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:46,645
and that price is the debt,
the Ottoman debt
534
00:47:46,840 --> 00:47:49,605
which starts in the 1850's
more or less with the Palace.
535
00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:53,122
And the Palace is just one drop
in that enormous debt
536
00:47:53,320 --> 00:47:56,722
that will eventually um,
force the er, the Empire
537
00:47:56,920 --> 00:48:00,561
into um, a formal er, bankruptcy
in 1875.
538
00:48:02,320 --> 00:48:04,163
Political reform
was desperately needed
539
00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:07,045
if the Empire was to have
any hope of a future.
540
00:48:10,400 --> 00:48:12,050
In this room in 1876,
541
00:48:12,240 --> 00:48:16,404
the first Ottoman Parliament
was announced with great fanfare.
542
00:48:17,320 --> 00:48:21,120
But, even this was not enough
to keep the Empire together.
543
00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:31,845
Although the Ottomans
continued to modernise,
544
00:48:32,040 --> 00:48:35,487
once the economic and political axis
of the world tilted west,
545
00:48:35,680 --> 00:48:39,730
it heralded the beginning of the end
of Ottoman supremacy.
546
00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:44,764
But there was one final attempt
547
00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:48,646
to bring together
the Islamic majority of the Empire.
548
00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:52,761
(TRAIN HOOTS)
549
00:49:04,160 --> 00:49:07,448
A forgotten rail yard
just south of Damascus -
550
00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:11,364
once this was one of the major
stopping points
551
00:49:11,560 --> 00:49:13,767
on the pilgrimage route to Mecca.
552
00:49:16,960 --> 00:49:19,566
These decommissioned old locomotives
553
00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:24,322
bear silent witness to an important
piece of Middle Eastern history.
554
00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:28,328
Once cutting edge technology,
555
00:49:28,520 --> 00:49:31,330
these are the original carriages
and engines
556
00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:36,367
that transported the first
Hajj pilgrims by rail in 1908.
557
00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:42,361
They travelled on the Hejaz Railway -
558
00:49:42,560 --> 00:49:44,722
a railway developed and constructed
559
00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:48,367
under the last Ottoman Sultan,
Adbulhamid ll.
560
00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:57,962
Sultans and Caliphs throughout
the history of Muslim civilisation,
561
00:49:58,160 --> 00:50:01,562
had to protect the pilgrimage
um, yearly trip.
562
00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:04,127
It was the legitimising feature
of their rule.
563
00:50:04,320 --> 00:50:06,800
It they protected the pilgrims,
they protected the holy cities,
564
00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:09,048
then they were good Muslim rulers.
565
00:50:09,240 --> 00:50:11,322
And so what Sultan Abdul Hamid did
566
00:50:11,520 --> 00:50:15,764
was link this sacred right
with modern industry.
567
00:50:18,600 --> 00:50:21,524
The railway followed
the ancient trail of camel caravans.
568
00:50:22,040 --> 00:50:24,008
And it slashed
the arduous journey time
569
00:50:24,200 --> 00:50:27,124
from 4O days to four days.
570
00:50:30,120 --> 00:50:34,284
The route passed via Damascus,
and eventually terminated in Medina.
571
00:50:40,720 --> 00:50:43,200
It brought much-needed innovation
to the region
572
00:50:43,400 --> 00:50:45,050
and strengthened
the Ottoman connection
573
00:50:45,240 --> 00:50:48,483
with key Islamic territories
at a time of unrest.
574
00:50:52,800 --> 00:50:56,486
The railway was the embodiment
of the Sultan's plan for “Islamic union" -
575
00:50:57,000 --> 00:51:01,050
bringing together Muslims not just
within the Empire but beyond.
576
00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:07,330
1600 km of track
was laid across pitiless desert
577
00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:11,889
deep into the heart of Arabia
and across the mountains of Hejaz.
578
00:51:12,080 --> 00:51:14,606
It brought together
conscripts from Turkey,
579
00:51:14,800 --> 00:51:19,124
steel from Belgium,
engineers and technology from Germany.
580
00:51:20,120 --> 00:51:24,921
Sultan Abdul Hamid brought in
European industrial expertise.
581
00:51:25,120 --> 00:51:29,205
German industry was extremely active
in the construction of this railway.
582
00:51:29,400 --> 00:51:31,448
Over here we have here indicator -
583
00:51:31,640 --> 00:51:34,166
the German plaque
and an Arabic plaque.
584
00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:38,729
So a collaboration of Ottoman
and German enterprises.
585
00:51:41,560 --> 00:51:44,166
But the Ottoman Empire
was in debt -
586
00:51:44,360 --> 00:51:47,807
and the Hejaz project
seemed an impossible dream.
587
00:51:48,800 --> 00:51:53,408
Yet remarkably, nearly a third of
the cost of this vast public project
588
00:51:53,600 --> 00:51:55,568
was met by charitable donations.
589
00:52:00,120 --> 00:52:01,690
Muslims from all over the world
590
00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:05,168
participated in this great
pan-Islamic enterprise
591
00:52:05,360 --> 00:52:09,081
aimed at helping fellow pilgrims
reach Mecca.
592
00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:13,967
When the railway line
had opened for business,
593
00:52:14,160 --> 00:52:16,481
it transported thousands of pilgrims.
594
00:52:21,440 --> 00:52:23,966
But the railway also became a target.
595
00:52:27,840 --> 00:52:30,207
During World War One,
the Hejaz route
596
00:52:30,400 --> 00:52:33,404
was irrevocably damaged
by Allied attacks.
597
00:52:36,920 --> 00:52:40,766
This great Ottoman connection
to the Holy Land was over-
598
00:52:41,840 --> 00:52:44,525
it would never go
as far as Medina again.
599
00:52:47,640 --> 00:52:50,120
The Hejaz project had been
an important achievement
600
00:52:50,320 --> 00:52:52,163
for the Islamic world -
601
00:52:52,360 --> 00:52:55,045
but it couldn't stem
the tide of change.
602
00:53:03,840 --> 00:53:07,083
(SAD MUSIC)
603
00:53:19,880 --> 00:53:23,327
Crippled by civil strife
and saddled with debt,
604
00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:27,286
the reign of the Ottoman dynasty
was nearly over.
605
00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:39,367
In the aftermath of World War One,
606
00:53:39,560 --> 00:53:44,726
the story of one of largest
and longest-lasting Empires in world
607
00:53:44,920 --> 00:53:47,082
came to an end.
608
00:53:52,680 --> 00:53:57,481
At its peak, the Ottoman Empire had
stretched from Algiers to Mosul,
609
00:53:57,680 --> 00:54:00,206
from Medina to the gates of Vienna.
610
00:54:04,080 --> 00:54:08,847
They had commanded and preserved
the most dynamic region in the world.
611
00:54:11,720 --> 00:54:15,850
This land that from ancient times
has shaped the modern world
612
00:54:17,800 --> 00:54:20,246
giving it agriculture,
613
00:54:21,680 --> 00:54:23,603
cities.
614
00:54:25,000 --> 00:54:27,924
And the belief in One Universal God.
615
00:54:31,040 --> 00:54:33,805
The land that had nurtured
the brilliant minds
616
00:54:34,000 --> 00:54:36,765
that laid the basis
of the European Renaissance.
617
00:54:39,840 --> 00:54:44,607
This crossroads of East and West has
inspired the story of civilisation
618
00:54:44,800 --> 00:54:47,690
for 12,000 years.
619
00:54:49,040 --> 00:54:52,123
It is a story that has no end.
620
00:55:23,160 --> 00:55:27,529
Subtitles © SBS Australia 2013