Through Ottoman Eyes
It was the most difficult and complex of times... Assassinations, insurrections... Paranoia ... And a sultan who had to rule amidst it all. Why would a sultan confine himself to a palace for 33 years.…
Through Ottoman Eyes
It was the most difficult and complex of times... Assassinations, insurrections... Paranoia ... And a sultan who had to rule amidst it all. Why would a sultan confine himself to a palace for 33 years...? Can an empire be governed through photographs? Through Ottoman Eyes is a visual documentation of one of the most controversial Ottoman sultans, Abdulhamid II - and how he stayed in power for 33 years, governing an empire through photographs. It is the visual story of the magnificent Yildiz Palace photography collection that was created as a result. Through Ottoman Eyes takes viewers on a journey back in time to the 19th century, and introduces them to never-shown-before photographs. The Yildiz Palace photography collection comprises 911 albums containing 36,585 photographs. It makes for a unique and extraordinary historical treasure. The collection came about due to the patronage of the sultan who widely used the power of photographs during his 33-year reign. The same sultan who reported view on photographs was: "Every image is an idea. One image can portray the political and emotional sensations that a 100-page document would fail to do." It was through photographs that he was able to keep informed about the goings on in all corners of his empire while also being one of the first to employ it as a public diplomacy instrument. Through Ottoman Eyes looks into how these photographs were commissioned and taken, who took them and how the album was created. It also delves into why Abdulhamid was so interested in photography and who the prominent photographers of that age were. Well known photographer Kamil Firat helps talk us through the various photographs and the stories behind them as the film examines the works being preserved at Istanbul University's Library of Rare Artefacts. Through Ottoman Eyes was filmed on location in Istanbul, Paris, London, Washington, New York and Los Angeles, speaking about the collection, that era and Abdulhamid's reign to renowned global art historians, photographers and historians.
Through Ottoman Eyes
Documentary
Film Details
It was the most difficult and complex of times... Assassinations, insurrections... Paranoia ...
And a sultan who had to rule amidst it all. Why would a sultan confine himself to a palace for 33 years...? Can an empire be governed through photographs? Through Ottoman Eyes is a visual documentation of one of the most controversial Ottoman sultans, Abdulhamid II - and how he stayed in power for 33 years, governing an empire through photographs. It is the visual story of the magnificent Yildiz Palace photography collection that was created as a result.
Through Ottoman Eyes takes viewers on a journey back in time to the 19th century, and introduces them to never-shown-before photographs. The Yildiz Palace photography collection comprises 911 albums containing 36,585 photographs. It makes for a unique and extraordinary historical treasure.
The collection came about due to the patronage of the sultan who widely used the power of photographs during his 33-year reign. The same sultan who reported view on photographs was: "Every image is an idea. One image can portray the political and emotional sensations that a 100-page document would fail to do." It was through photographs that he was able to keep informed about the goings on in all corners of his empire while also being one of the first to employ it as a public diplomacy instrument.
Through Ottoman Eyes looks into how these photographs were commissioned and taken, who took them and how the album was created. It also delves into why Abdulhamid was so interested in photography and who the prominent photographers of that age were. Well known photographer Kamil Firat helps talk us through the various photographs and the stories behind them as the film examines the works being preserved at Istanbul University's Library of Rare Artefacts.
Through Ottoman Eyes was filmed on location in Istanbul, Paris, London, Washington, New York and Los Angeles, speaking about the collection, that era and Abdulhamid's reign to renowned global art historians, photographers and historians..