ANOTHER ERA: A still from the Magnificent Century series. Halit Ergenc is in centre.

By Anand Holla

As a prelude to the grand visual spectacle Harem Al Sultan: The Exhibition that the Qatar Museums (QM) threw open at Katara on Thursday, a documentary film on the hugely successful series won over a packed Opera House.
While its stars answered questions from the audience, Halit Ergenc – Emperor Suleiman himself – spoke to Community about the challenges of his role.
The staggering success of the historical soap opera, Magnificent Century, has elevated it to the television hall of fame. Set on the life of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the Turkish series that was first broadcast in 2011 has now been watched by 300mn viewers in 54 countries.
Bathed in opulence and glory, the exhibition “takes visitors on a journey through the palace of Harem Al Sultan to experience what it feels like to be living in an era of greatness and dangerous ambitions.” QM says, “This unique exhibition brings the costumes, sets and ambience of the series to Doha, revealing the stories behind the life of the Turkish conqueror and his love for the humble and beautiful Hurrem Sultan.”
To afford viewers a ringside view of the behind-the-scenes action of one of Turkey’s greatest productions, The Secret World of Magnificent Century documentary follows the show’s costume designers, fashion consultants, actors and art directors through the process of assembling this spectacular magnum opus of a show.
The documentary, directed by brothers Yagmur Taylan and Durul Taylan, explores the great detailing that goes behind choosing the fabric, cut, colour and fit of the costumes worn by the characters, considering the critical role they play in defining the characters’ personality and authority. While the film’s focus mostly remains on the costumes and decor, actors also talk about their impressions of what their characters demand of them.
Ergenc, who plays Suleiman, told Community how it was to ‘become’ a king, “I had to work through different kinds of periods. When I first heard about The Magnificent Century, it was a year-and-a-half before the start of the shoot. I started to read about this period and learn details about this era and especially about Suleiman.”
But Ergenc had a difficult time finding personal details and nuances about his character. “I managed to get a few clues though,” he said, “Like I found out that Suleiman didn’t look like me – he was thinner, taller, and his eyes were of different colour than mine. But for me, the way he would conduct himself and his attitude was more important to capture. That’s how I started to work on it.”
“It was hard to imagine how it is to be the most powerful man in the world in the 16th century,” Ergenc says, smiling, “Back then, the social life was different, relationships were different. For instance, Suleiman the Magnificent could look at everybody’s eyes, but nobody was allowed to look him in the eye. It was a huge satisfaction for me to be able to play him and translate these nuances.”
Ergenc doesn’t mind talking about the various controversies the series courted; such as Suleiman’s colourful life in the palace eclipsing his battlefield triumphs. “It was the most brilliant age of the Ottoman empire and also Suleiman was the most beloved Pasha of the empire. Everybody had been curious about the empire also because nothing like this series was ever done before. Everybody had nurtured their own imaginations about him and his life. The show fit into some of the people’s imaginations, and it didn’t fit some others’,” Ergenc said.
“History is not an object of knowledge, it’s a subject of an era or regime. Every historian writes history from his or her angle. History changes from book to book,” continued Ergenc, “Suleiman was very powerful. Nobody had made him appear like a human being before. That’s why some people liked it, while some didn’t like it in the beginning. But as people began watching it, they got used to it and eventually loved it.”
Did he ever reckon that the show will reach such great heights of success? “We knew that the show will be big. But I didn’t ever imagine it would be this massive. We were expecting people to like it but such success was beyond our imagination,” he said. The exhibition, meanwhile, will run until December 12 at the QM Gallery in Katara.