Roxolana-Hurrem and Her 'Magnificent Century'. Secrets of the Harem and the Istanbul Court

There is no more popular love-and-history series than “THE MAGNIFICENT AGE.”

The story of the Slav captive Roksolana, who became the all-powerful Hürrem, the legal wife of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, captivated millions of television viewers. Before Roksolana and after her, the sultans of the Ottoman Empire did not marry former slaves under the laws of Sharia and did not live in a monogamous marriage. They generally preferred not to marry officially at all, possessing enormous harems with hundreds of concubines.

And Suleiman not only enthroned his beloved at the head of the Sublime Porte, but also remained faithful to her until death—and after Roksolana’s passing he wrote such poems:

This book is more than a political biography or a love novel—you will find here a wealth of fascinating information about “The Magnificent Age” of the Sublime Porte: be it the most intimate secrets of the harem and the Istanbul court, Roksolana and Suleiman’s love poems, the history of the appearance of coffee and rahat-lokum, or ancient recipes of Ottoman cuisine, including “exclusive” dishes prepared for a feast in honor of the circumcision of the sultan’s sons.