Dramas / Show TV, later Star TV
Show TV, later Star TV · 2011
The reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire, seen from inside the palace. As his power grows, so do the rivalries around him: his friend and adviser Pargalı İbrahim Pasha, his mother Hafsa Sultan, his sister Hatice, Mahidevran, the mother of his eldest son, and Hürrem, a slave girl who rises to become his wife.
It ran from 2011, 139 episodes over four seasons in all.
All-time blockbusters
It was reported to have an international audience of 200 million viewers in more than 50 countries, and it kept consistently high ratings at home despite protests. At a total cost of 130 million Turkish liras, it was the most expensive project on Turkish television. Commentators credited it with selling an image of modern Turkey abroad.
The Taylan brothers directed it and Timur Savcı produced it. Production began five months before the first broadcast on a 2,100-square-metre lot, where 30 sculptors and painters built replicas of palace buildings. Some viewers complained that it showed the sultan in a “disrespectful” way, and small groups protested outside the studio. The main cast is credited without character pairings here, because the source lists them only as names. The series also looks at the period known as the Sultanate of Women, when women of the imperial household held real power. It moved from Show TV to Star TV during its run and lasted four seasons, with Hürrem's rise from slave to wife at the centre of its story.
Slot not confirmed
Show TV, later Star TV · Started 2011 · 139 episodes over four seasons.
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Halit Ergenç | — |
| Meryem Uzerli | — |
| Vahide Perçin | — |
| Okan Yalabık | — |
| Nebahat Çehre | — |
| Pelin Karahan | — |
| Nur Fettahoğlu | — |
| Selma Ergeç | — |
Last checked 22 October 2026.