Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul [Paperback]

John Freely (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 3, 2001

This volume takes us behind the doors of Topkapi Sarayi and the other palaces of the Ottoman sultans who for more than six centuries ruled one of the world's most powerful empires. The heart of the palace was the Harem, the women's quarters, ruled by the Valide, or Queen Mother. Here the Sultan took his ease surrounded by his wives and concubines with their guardian black eunuchs, amused by his favourite pages, dwarfs and mutes, his younger brothers either slaughtered upon his accession or confined to the prison of the Cage. Earlier sultans like Mehmet the Conqueror and Suleyman the Magnificent lied in Topkapi Sarayi only between their campaigns of conquest, but their weak and dissolute successors such as Selim the Sot and Ibrahim the Mad spent their reigns entirely in the Harem, where some of them died of over-indulgence or were brutally murdered. such were the private lives of the |Ottoman sultans in the pleasure dome known as the House of Felicity. Described here with attention to every extraordinary detail and wit, and illustrated throughout with images of this sequestered court, is the history and life of this remarkable palace in all its colour and opulence, and the story of its influence on a great empire.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Freely was born in New York in 1926. He joined the U.S. Navy at the age of seventeen and served with a commando unit in Burma and China during the last months of World War II. He has written more than twenty books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (July 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140270566
• ISBN-13: 978-0140270563
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,069,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A colorful and detailed story of the Ottoman Sultans, August 4, 2001

By 

Muge Tiryakioglu "muge" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul (Paperback)

I enjoyed John Freely's latest book immensely. It is full of rare information on the private lives of the Ottoman sultans and yet is very readable. Other books on Ottoman history, as far as I am aware of, do not provide so many interesting details about daily life in the Seraglio.

Despite this strength of the book, however, I think that a familiarity with the Ottoman history is a must to thoroughly enjoy it. Otherwise, one cannot help but get the impression that all Ottoman sultans were either savages that killed their brothers to secure their throne or drunkards who spent all their time in the pleasure world of the Harem. Also, by focusing too much on the story of the Ottoman dynasty, the author fails to provide the connection between the outside events that change the society and the lives of the Sultans. Without seeing the big picture, it is difficult to really understand how the decline of the Empire coincided with the reign of the later weak Sultans.

Overall, though, the book is full of interesting facts, stories and legends and is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the social history of the Ottoman Empire or in the history of monarchies and dynasties.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Stories of the Ottoman Imperial Court, November 19, 2002

By 

L. Sabin (Hudson Valley NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul (Paperback)

This fascinating book summarizes the court life of the Ottoman sultans in Istanbul. It begins with a few short passages on the founding of the dynasty in the 13th Century, but the most intriguing stories begin after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the Ottoman takeover of the city.

John Freely writes in a clear and concise manner that makes what could be complex material simpler to read. And the characters, from the royal courtiers to the concubines to the sultans themselves are all portrayed with fascinating insight. The text is illustrated throughout by some beautiful prints and sketches as well.

This is a great book about the inner workings of the court life of the Ottoman dynasty, and will likely whet the reader's appetite to do delve more deeply into the subject.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An eye opener, November 30, 2001

By 

Asghar Husain (Los Altos, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul (Paperback)

Those guys sure knew how to have fun. Until, of course, a brother, uncle or ambitious vazir came along to crash the party. This book provides a very vivid account on how the Sultan's lived, character and their priorities. As the title suggests, the focus is very much on the private lives of the Sultans; not a general commentary on the Ottoman Empire.

For no fault of the author, the book did get a little mundane and predictable as Freely runs down the dynasty. History repeats itself adnauseum when it comes to the Ottomans.

Not having read too many historical accounts that span several centuries, I did not find this to book to be gripping. I took my time to finish it.

Finally, Freely's account of the Ottoman dynasty was an eye opener for me. I had often been told of the glory of the Ottoman Empire. It was fascinating to see just how morally corrupt the leadership was; how inconsistent with idealogies of Islam. Given the success and longevity of this Empire, this book certainly refutes the myth "Practice what you preach"