# Rise of Empires: Ottoman Serie Review

Pros:
Interesting historical characters and events; a fairly balanced and generally neutral approach to the events described; good staging of battle scenes and reconstruction of Constantinople in CGI; rich scenery and costumes; good casting

Cons:
Some romanticization of real events; the image of Sultan Mehmed II turned out to be too perfect

Genre documentary-fiction series
Creators Callie McPerson, Emre Sahin
Starring Cam Yigit Uzumoglu (Sultan Mehmed II), Tommaso Basili (Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos), Selim Bayraktar (Candarli Khalil Pasha), Birkan Sokullu (Giovanni Giustiniani), Osman Sonant ( Luka Notaras), Tolga Tekin (Sultan Murad II), Ushan Çakir (Zaganos Pasha), Damla Sönmez (Ana), Tansu Biçer (Orban), Ilayda Akdogan (Terma Sfrandzi), Tugrul Tulek (George Sfrandzi), Tuba Büyüküstün (Mara Brankovich) and others.
Netflix Channel
Year of release 2020
Episodes 6
Websites IMDb

Surely the Turks could make Rise of Empires: Ottoman as an exclusively game series. All the events that are essential for understanding the preconditions and course of the siege of Constantinople are played here by real actors, and played very well. However, the authors chose the documentary-game format not by chance.

The siege of Constantinople in 1453 is still perceived differently by residents of different countries. For the Turks, this is the Conquest, the sacred act of fulfilling the prophecy recorded in the Koran, the starting point of the development of the Ottoman Empire, an event of which they are proud. Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror became a sacred figure, like Saint Vladimir for orthodox Christians. For Christians, first of all for the Greeks, this is the Fall, a tragedy, the consequences of which are still felt and experienced, and Mehmed II is a cruel enslaver who expelled Christians from the Holy City. In fact, this is not so, Sultan Mehmed II was a surprisingly enlightened and tolerant person, but, as they say, a residue remained. The involvement of specialists, as a neutral, independent party, made it possible to reduce the intensity and look at the events of 567 years ago from a historical perspective.

The decrepit Byzantine Empire, which once controlled almost the entire Mediterranean, was becoming obsolete and no longer controlled anything. Only a shadow remained of the once majestic city; the population fell from 1 million at dawn to only 50 thousand. It was a ghost of a city with destroyed houses and vacant lots in the place of residential areas. More of a symbolic city than a living capital of the state. And only incredibly powerful defensive structures, erected under Justinian, have protected the City for 700 years. Moreover, Constantinople was like a thorn in the very heart of the Ottoman state, dividing its Asian and European parts, interfering with trade, politics, and military aspirations of the Ottomans. The outdated city had to fall, giving way to something new, progressive. And in this case, it was the Ottoman state that personified progress.

Read Also: [Bird Box Barcelona Explained](https://creativejamie.com/bird-box-barcelona-explained/): What’s Up With the Ending?

Moreover, it is wrong to perceive the siege of Constantinople as a battle between Islam and Christianity. In fact, representatives of different nationalities took part in the siege on both sides. Let us remember the Serbian cavalry on the Ottoman side and Sehzade Orhan Celebi and his Ottoman soldiers on the Byzantine side. The same unique siege cannons that eventually destroyed the walls of the great city were made by the Christian, the brilliant Hungarian engineer Urban. By the way, the bombing of Constantinople was the first massive use of artillery in history and the first artillery preparation, a kind of “Shock and Awe” operation of the 15th century. Again, the supply of the Turkish army was carried out by... Christian Genoese. Nothing personal just business. And so on. Yes, and the help promised by the Christian rulers of Europe never came to Constantinople, Europe traditionally limited itself to deep concern.

The creators of Rise of Empires: Ottoman, Callie McPerson and Emre Sahin, took the process seriously. They attracted popular actors in Turkey, choosing the leading roles very well, especially Sultan Mehmed II. The young sultan, dreaming of the exploits of Alexander the Great, and Mehmed II was only 21 years old at the time of the conquest of Constantinople, is somewhat similar... to Robb Stark from Game of Thrones. However, all the actors are good. Tuba Büyüküstün, who plays the wife of Sultan Murad II, Mara Branković, the adoptive mother of Mehmed II and his adviser, is one of the most popular and most beautiful Turkish actresses. Selim Bayraktar, who plays Candarli Khalil Pasha, may be familiar to our viewers from the TV series “The Magnificent Century”. Birkan Sokullu, who plays the Genoese soldier of fortune and city defense hero Giovanni Giustiniani, is a former famous Turkish basketball player and model.

They also approached the historical restoration of scenes from the siege on a grand scale. Yes, it is sometimes noticeable that the costumed extras here are not so large, and some battle scenes are “expanded” by filming from several cameras from different angles. However, the costumes, scenery, staging and editing of battles - everything was done at a very good level. As does the sparse but clever use of CGI, used primarily to show general views of Constantinople and the straits.
Read Also: [A Quiet Place: Part II Explained](https://creativejamie.com/a-quiet-place-part-ii-explained/): What’s Up With the Ending?

The creators of the series should also be praised for their historical neutrality. They show with equal attention and respect both Sultan Mehmed II, commander of the besieging troops, and the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos, who decided to perish along with the city. Ottoman military leaders and defense commanders, primarily Giovanni Giustiniani, who performed miracles of heroism with such a meager garrison. Yes, the same Mehmed II turned out to be too ideal for the authors of Rise of Empires: Ottoman, a downright holy ruler, but, as I already said, Mehmed II is a sacred figure for the Turks, and besides, the young sultan was indeed very well educated , was distinguished by broad views and self-confidence. The only thing that touched me personally was the description of Mehmed II’s decision to transfer the fleet to the Golden Horn Bay by land as a brilliant insight, a tactical decision that had no analogues until now. Excuse me, but then what about the Greeks and Egyptians, who pulled ships across the isthmuses 2000 years before? Or the Ukrainian, who put the ships on wheels just during the siege of Constantinople? Mehmed II, as a well-read person, could not help but know about these precedents.

If you're into history, then Rise of Empires: Ottoman is unlikely to open your eyes to the events of the 1453 siege. The creators of the series generally stick to the facts. Yes, the same spy games of the Byzantines and the Ottomans cannot be reliably confirmed, but otherwise the series is very close to what historians consider today to be a reliable reconstruction of those events. However, there are still some interesting moments in the series. Personally, what was unusual for me was the active participation of the Serbian princess Mara Branković in political intrigues on the side of the Ottomans, as well as the fact that Mehmed II ascended the Sultan’s throne twice, for the first time at the age of 13, after the voluntary abdication of his father.

Overall, Rise of Empires: Ottoman is the male version of The Magnificent Century / Muhteşem Yüzyıl. Instead of intrigues in the harem, there are intrigues behind the political map. Instead of the machinations of other wives, concubines and eunuchs - the movement of armies and fleets. Plus comments from historians that complement the episodes played by the actors. As mentioned above, they could have been thrown out, the series would not have suffered from it, but in this form it looks more balanced and neutral.

The authors of Rise of Empires: Ottoman seem to be planning to continue the story of the reign and campaigns of Mehmed II in the following seasons, especially since the Sultan really restored the city he conquered and returned it to its former greatness. To be honest, I would be very happy to watch a continuation of the Rise of Empires series, dedicated to other important historical events and empires. Fortunately, real history always has something to cover up any fiction of the screenwriters.

Conclusion:

A very good artistic and documentary series dedicated to historical events important for Europe and the Middle East.