Muhteşem Yüzyıl (Turkish pronunciation: [muhteˈʃem ˈjyzjɯl], English: Magnificent Century) is a Turkish prime time historical soap opera television series. It was originally broadcast on Show TV and then transferred to Star TV for its second season. It is based on the life of Süleyman I (also known as Suleiman the Magnificent), the longest reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and Hürrem (a.k.a. Roxelana), the slave girl who became his queen.[2]
The "Magnificent Century" of the Ottomans refers to the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent , and the series dramatizes the intrigues of his harem and court. Most of the incidents and actions occurring are based on fictional stories of the Ottomans specifically Sultan Suleiman and his harem but these actions take place on the fixed time of this reign.
At the age of twenty-six, when his rule began, Sultan Süleyman sought to build an empire in this world more powerful and more extensive than Alexander The Great of Macedonia and to render the Ottomans invincible.
Throughout his 46-year reign, Sultan Süleyman became known as the greatest warrior and ruler of the East and West. The young Süleyman ascended to the throne after receiving the news of his crowning at a hunting party in 1520. Unaware that he would be embarking on a reign that would later be considered the pinnacle of Ottoman rule, he left behind his consort Mahidevran and their son, little prince Mustafa, at his palace in Manisa, and, accompanied by his close friend and companion Pargalı İbrahim, took the road to Topkapı Palace in İstanbul.
While they were on route, an Ottoman ship sailed off from Crimea across the Black Sea, bringing kidnapped Christian female slaves as gifts for the Ottoman palace. On this ship was Alexandra La Rossa, the daughter of a Ukrainian Orthodox priest, who saw her father, mother, and fiance being killed while kidnapped. This young girl, who had been kidnapped from her family and sold to the Ottoman palace as a slave, would become Hürrem (Roksolana), the consort who so captivated Sultan Süleyman that he took the nearly unprecedented step of making her his wife. She would bear his sons and rule his empire together with him through bloodshed and intrigue.
As Sultan Süleyman ruled his empire, he allowed his great passion for Hürrem a heavy influence in his court.
The television series focuses on the relationships between the members of the imperial household, especially the romantic entanglements and rivalries. The animosity between Hürrem and Mahidevran, and Hürrem's rise as Süleyman's favorite while pregnant with his son, her fall from favor after her son's birth and her eventual return to grace, provide the main subject matter of the series. Significant subplots include the affection between the Grand Vizier and one of the ladies of the royal household and the tension between Christian Europe and the Ottoman Empire.
Season 1
It starts off when Sultan Suleiman was going back from a encounter with the Pasha, Ibrahim the Pargali. Meanwhile, Alexandra La Rossa (later Hurrem) is taken by a Tatar slave raid on her village. Because of the Tatar slave raid - Her father, mother, and sister are killed; but her boyfriend Leo survives and escapes (although she thinks that he's dead). On the ship to the Topkapi palace there are other women, including her best friend Maria (later Gulnihal).
When Alexandra arrives , she is taught a lesson - that if she become a favorite ("hatun"), and give birth to the sultan's son, she would become a Sultana and rule the world. So, when the Sultan is passing by, all the concubines are forced to bow/bend in respect, but she doesn't and she screams out his name loud. When he looks at her, she faints and he catches her. Since then, she became a favorite. When she was a favorite, the Sultan named her Hurrem. Then she converted to Islam.
On the (near) end of the 3rd episode, Mahidevran (the other sultana) gets into a fight with her and beats her up severely because she blamed her for her miscarriage. When Suleiman discovers, he develops a hate on Mahidevran.
Later on, Hurrem gets pregnant with the Sultan's first son, Mehmet. While she's pregnant, Suleiman called her into his room for eating sweets, and those sweets were poisoned by Mahidevran. She eats the sweets, and then she faints but Suleiman manages to rescue her. The hate on Mahidevran by Suleiman increases.
Then you can see that after one of Suleiman's battles, Victoria (later Sadika) has her husband killed by Suleiman in the attack and then goes to Constantinople to take revenge.
Hurrem gets pregnant with the Suleiman's first and only daughter, Mihrimah Sultan. After she gives birth, she makes a party in the Harem, but then gets in a fight with a favorite, Ayse Hatun and threatens to kill her. Sadika kills Ayse because Ayse discovered that she was up to something, and because Hurrem threatened her, all evidence proves that it is Hurrem who killed her. Then, Suleiman banishes her to the old palace (the Crimean palace).
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Pasha marries Hatice Sultan (Sultan's sister). He tells Hurrem that she can come back to the Topkapi Palace if she agrees to kiss Mahidevran's dress. She initially refuses, but then changes her mind.
Leo, Hurrem's ex-boyfriend finds out where Hurrem is and becomes the royal painter to get close to her. But, Ibrahim Pasha discovers about their relationship, so he tells Hurrem that she has to feed Leo with poisoned Turkish delights or else he will tell the Sultan himself.
In the last episode of the season, it is shown that Suleiman is in a tent outside Ibrahim pasha's palace, enjoying the view and eating grapes and Sadika is supposed to serve him. In the last 3 minutes Sadika is coming with a tray with a glass of water on it, but with a dagger under it, and Hurrem is crying while she is feeding Leo the poisoned delights. And then Suleiman is threatened with the dagger around his neck.
