The Sultan of Turkey
Abdul Hamid II
Was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ruling from August 31, 1876 until he was deposed on April 27, 1909. His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan, Emperor of the Ottomans, Leader of the Faithful/ أمير المؤمنين (also known as Abdülhamid II, `Abdü'l-Ḥamīd-i sânî/ عبد الحميد ثانی (Ottoman Turkish) , İkinci Abdülhamit (Turkish) Abd Al-Hamid II Khan Ghazi. He was nicknamed The Crimson/Red Sultan, The Bloody Sultan, The Great Slaughterer and Abdul the Damned.
Was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ruling from August 31, 1876 until he was deposed on April 27, 1909. His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan, Emperor of the Ottomans, Leader of the Faithful/ أمير المؤمنين (also known as Abdülhamid II, `Abdü'l-Ḥamīd-i sânî/ عبد الحميد ثانی (Ottoman Turkish) , İkinci Abdülhamit (Turkish) Abd Al-Hamid II Khan Ghazi. He was nicknamed The Crimson/Red Sultan, The Bloody Sultan, The Great Slaughterer and Abdul the Damned.
"As for Érik, he traveled to Asia Minor, then went to Constantinople, where he had entered into the service of the Sultan. I would like to make clear the type services one could give a sovereign who was perpetually haunted by paranoia and living in constant terror for his life, but of course it was Erik who built all the famous trapdoor, secret chambers and mysterious vaults that were found at Yildiz-Kiosk, after the last Turkish revolution."
"Of course, once again, he had to leave the service of the Sultan for the same reasons that he had had to flee from Persia. He knew too much. He grew very tired of his fantastic, formidable and monstrous life, for he wished to live his like everyone else." ~(Epilogue, PT translation) |
Abdul Hamid II is considered one of the most famous and important sultans of the Ottoman Empire. At a young age he learned Arabic, Farsi, French, in addition to the Ottoman language. The Sultan learned literature, Islamic sciences, poetry, mysticism, calligraphy, music politics and economics from the Minister of Education. He opened a the largest education campaign, with schools and universities as well as museums and libraries, the most important being the Antiquities Museum and the Military Museum, in addition to the Yildiz and Bayezid Libraries.
However Abdul Hamid II was supremely paranoid about his security. He was all most assassinated when Armenian rebels placed a bomb on the doorstep of the mosque where he prayed on Fridays. Abdul Hamid II was stopped by the Sheikh of Islam and didn't leave right away, because of this was safe when the bomb went off. The memory of the deposition of Abdülaziz was always on Abdul Hamid II mind and convinced him that a constitutional government was not a good idea. Because of this, information was tightly controlled and the press was tightly censored. The curriculum of schools was subject to close inspection to prevent dissidence. Ironically, the schools that Abdul Hamid tried to control became "breeding grounds of discontent" as students and teachers alike chafed at the clumsy restrictions of the censors. He would always see dreams of what happened to his uncle because of his love towards his uncle. He had secret telegraph lines and essentially "spies" of his own that would execute his orders without question.
Abdul Hamid’s reign also had a fully functioning state spy system. These spies greatly impeded the operation of the state administration as officials were constantly concerned that a false report would be filed against them. In Spies, Scandals and Sultans, by Ibrahim Al-Muwaylihi, it is recounted how spies were operating all across Constantinople and that even the Shaykh al-Islam was paralyzed with fear of these spies. Additionally, al-Muwaylihi described how many spies followed the carriage of the Crown Prince. Overall, these spies hampered the functioning of the state and potential reform ideas as people were afraid of being reported. Abdul Hamid is the last monarch to exercise real authority over the empire.
He was a skilled carpenter and personally crafted most of his own furniture. Abdul Hamid was a skilled translator, well traveled, as well as a poet and had a great interest toward music and opera. He personally wrote the first-ever Turkish translations of many opera classics. He also composed several opera pieces for the Mızıka-ı Hümayun which he established, and hosted the famous performers of Europe at the Opera House of Yıldız Palace. He was also a fan of the actress Sarah Bernhardt, and he brought her to his private theater on numerous occasions.
There was veracious reasons as to why he was paranoid there was even a assassination attempt in 1905 called the Yıldız assassination attempt at the Yıldız Mosque.
Abdul Hamid’s reign also had a fully functioning state spy system. These spies greatly impeded the operation of the state administration as officials were constantly concerned that a false report would be filed against them. In Spies, Scandals and Sultans, by Ibrahim Al-Muwaylihi, it is recounted how spies were operating all across Constantinople and that even the Shaykh al-Islam was paralyzed with fear of these spies. Additionally, al-Muwaylihi described how many spies followed the carriage of the Crown Prince. Overall, these spies hampered the functioning of the state and potential reform ideas as people were afraid of being reported. Abdul Hamid is the last monarch to exercise real authority over the empire.
He was a skilled carpenter and personally crafted most of his own furniture. Abdul Hamid was a skilled translator, well traveled, as well as a poet and had a great interest toward music and opera. He personally wrote the first-ever Turkish translations of many opera classics. He also composed several opera pieces for the Mızıka-ı Hümayun which he established, and hosted the famous performers of Europe at the Opera House of Yıldız Palace. He was also a fan of the actress Sarah Bernhardt, and he brought her to his private theater on numerous occasions.
There was veracious reasons as to why he was paranoid there was even a assassination attempt in 1905 called the Yıldız assassination attempt at the Yıldız Mosque.
Automatons and Alamet
"He also had constructed automatons that were an exact likeness of the prince and dressed them just like him. Automatons who were so life like they made people believe that the 'Commander of the Faithful' stood in one place, awake, when in reality he was resting in alternative location. "
~(Epilogue) |
Alamet
Was a robot (automaton) built in 1889 in the Ottoman Empire. It was given as a gift from the Ottoman Palace to the Japanese Emperor during the period of Abdul Hamid II. Alamet's form was similar to that of the human form, and the robot was nearly life-size. It had a sound player which produced the adhan. Alamet contained clockwork that enabled it to perform a specific series of actions: walk forward half a meter, open its arms, bow (ruku'), stand up, turn around, and return to its starting place.
Some pictures of the Alamet can be found in Yıldız in İstanbul.
~ref. http://www.discussworldissues.com/forums/islam/254495-alamet-robot.html
Alamet's form was similar to that of the human form, and the robot was nearly life-size. It had a sound player which produced the adhan (the islamic call prayer). Alamet contained clockwork that enabled it to perform a specific series of actions: walk forward half a meter, open its arms, bow (ruku'), stand up, turn around, and return to its starting place.
"It is the year 1881. The Great Ottoman Empire, sparkling gem of the Arab world, has been forged anew under the vision of Sultan Abdul Hamid II and the spring-driven power of progress. Turning from its century long goals of conquest and dominion, the Empire has turned its attention inwards, towards fortifying its territories, enlightening its subjects, and continuing the development in clockwork automatons"~Ottoman Empire
Was a robot (automaton) built in 1889 in the Ottoman Empire. It was given as a gift from the Ottoman Palace to the Japanese Emperor during the period of Abdul Hamid II. Alamet's form was similar to that of the human form, and the robot was nearly life-size. It had a sound player which produced the adhan. Alamet contained clockwork that enabled it to perform a specific series of actions: walk forward half a meter, open its arms, bow (ruku'), stand up, turn around, and return to its starting place.
Some pictures of the Alamet can be found in Yıldız in İstanbul.
~ref. http://www.discussworldissues.com/forums/islam/254495-alamet-robot.html
Alamet's form was similar to that of the human form, and the robot was nearly life-size. It had a sound player which produced the adhan (the islamic call prayer). Alamet contained clockwork that enabled it to perform a specific series of actions: walk forward half a meter, open its arms, bow (ruku'), stand up, turn around, and return to its starting place.
"It is the year 1881. The Great Ottoman Empire, sparkling gem of the Arab world, has been forged anew under the vision of Sultan Abdul Hamid II and the spring-driven power of progress. Turning from its century long goals of conquest and dominion, the Empire has turned its attention inwards, towards fortifying its territories, enlightening its subjects, and continuing the development in clockwork automatons"~Ottoman Empire
Yildiz Kiosk
for more information and images
Review by Mohammed-Ali Bey in Le Martin day after troops from Salonika into Constantinople (reported: 1909 negotiations failed, the Sultan, Abdul Hamid, retreated into Yilditz-Kiosk on the Bosphorus. He who was officially deposed and exiled in 1909 when troops were dispatched from Salonika that liberators of the Yilditz Palace found a securely bolted chamber containing a number of Automatons of Abdul Hamid in various poses.