Dramas / TRT 1, later streamed on Netflix
TRT 1, later streamed on Netflix · 2014
A historical drama inspired by the life of Ertuğrul Bey, the father of Osman I, who founded the Ottoman Empire. In 13th-century Anatolia, Ertuğrul leads the nomadic Kayı tribe while it is squeezed by the Mongols to the east and the Crusaders and Byzantines to the west, and threatened by traitors closer to home. Alliances shift and every season brings a new enemy.
It ran from 10 December 2014 to 29 May 2019, 150 episodes over five seasons in all.
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No global ratings total is published, but its reach is documented: Netflix streamed it internationally from 2016–17 until 2023, and it was well received in Turkey and in countries such as Pakistan and Azerbaijan. It also launched a franchise, continuing as Kuruluş: Osman and Kuruluş: Orhan. Its popularity came with controversy: some Arab countries banned it, and critics said it advanced the Turkish government's political agenda.
Mehmet Bozdağ created, wrote and produced it, and Metin Günay directed it. It was filmed in Riva, a village in Istanbul's Beykoz district, and ran for five seasons on TRT 1. Engin Altan Düzyatan's Ertuğrul and Esra Bilgiç's Halime became familiar faces far beyond Turkey. Ertuğrul was a 13th-century Turkic Muslim nomad warrior whose tribe, like other Turkic tribes, was pushed west by the Mongols. The series uses that history as the frame for battles, palace intrigue and tribal politics, with each season moving the Kayı to a new land and a new set of enemies.
Slot not confirmed
TRT 1, later streamed on Netflix · Started 10 December 2014 · Last episode 29 May 2019 · 150 episodes over five seasons.
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Engin Altan Düzyatan | Ertuğrul Bey |
| Esra Bilgiç | Halime Hatun |
| Kaan Taşaner | Gündoğdu Bey |
| Hülya Darcan | Hayme Hatun |
| Didem Balçın | Selcan Hatun |
| Cengiz Coşkun | Turgut Alp |
| Nurettin Sönmez | — |
| Hande Soral | İlbilge Hatun |
Last checked 22 October 2026.