#gulsah

[meftunn-21]

😂

Nanik :P

[awkward-sultana]

Magnificent Century + Costumes in 1.22: The Fury

[sehzadeselimsblog]

Los jardines de Topkapi. ✨

[palaceoftears]

[mc-critical]

Bonus:

2.22 (46) / 2.24 (48) / 2.25 (49) / 2.35 (59) / 2.39 (63)

[magnificentlyreused]

This brown and blue striped kaftan was first worn by as Hürrem Sultan in the sixteenth episode of the first season of Magnificent Century. It was worn again by Gülşah Hatun in the third episode of the third season. The kaftan is used again on an unnamed harem member in the thirtieth and Emine Hatun in the fourtieth episode of the same season. The kaftan was seen again on Şehzade Mehmed's wet nurse in the thirty-first episode of the fourth season.

The kaftan was slightly altered by moving the buttons to the right to create a new asymmetrical closure before it was worn again by Topal Pasha's mistress in the second episode of the second season of Magnificent Century: Kösem.

[garnetbutterflysblog]

My heart is going out for Mahidevran here. Of course, she doesn’t want to admit that Suleiman refuses to touch her in the biblical sense. She is still in love with this man. Her pride is wounded enough already. I mean, Suleiman is completely justified in not wanting to sleep with her but, she has also been given false hope by those around her.

And now, as a woman who struggled (and considering she’s in her mid-20s at most, still struggling) with infertility, is being confronted with this rumor of being pregnant when she can’t be for multiple reasons. You can’t convince me she’s not still mourning her lost child. And yes, I’m using “child” because that was a wanted pregnancy. This is ripping open that wound and pouring a mixture of salt and lemon juice inside.

And now she has to endure a pelvic exam then the disappointment of the people she holds dear. To Hafsa’s credit, she does try to comfort her afterwards but I don’t think that can erase how excited Hafsa was for Mahidevran to be pregnant and how in her mind it was a foregone conclusion despite Mahidevran and Hatice’s attempts to caution her. Those words of comfort have to just ring hollow after hearing Hafsa’s excitement.

And Hürrem visiting afterwards was petty. I mean, Hürrem almost produces asexually she gets pregnant so easily. One night is all it takes for her. I mean, Mahidevran did gloat about visiting Suleiman to Hürrem on numerous occasions for sheer pettiness but two wrongs don’t make a right. At least, she faked sympathy and acted like she didn’t want to announce her own pregnancy in front of Mahidevran.

[tianmicons]

[julyzaa]

Whenever i feel down i just watch Daye Hatun slap Gülşah Kalfa, and it always makes me feel better.

The drama, the fabric moving with the elegance of someone dancing, and then just the Slap.

For context:

[komnenid]

@gvlsahs​

The hot June sun pulsed in the air, rubbing the French queen’s skin into a rosy, olive glow. Smooth, dexterous hands extend to the children gamboling past – brandishing ribbons woven in the blue-and-gold of the Capetian crown – or to accept golden deniers, melted and embossed with King Charles’s mighty profile. His bull-necked confidence, such that Caesar could only hope to possess; the Aquiline slope of his nose, such that poxed Antony’s valorous visage. Anna ushers the people toward the castle for benediction, to replenish their cups at the King’s fountains of wine, her keen, dark eyes trained on the magnificent stone fortresses and cathedral spires that rise up into the Parisian skyline, the sun so bright as to appear whitish, the hue of whipped yolks, hung by heavenly clouds.

The day’s festivities –– and the overwhelming heat –– meld seamlessly in Anna’s Byzantine blood, though the Pope’s lingering presence, in the city, and at her husband’s side, hardly bottled any warm promise within her. Indeed, she had been anointed a Catholic consort, dabbed with holy oil at the scalp and breast by the realm’s finest archbishop, but among the low-voiced conferences shared with her ladies and bishops, Queen Anges’ prayers pealed out for the Orthodox church, and in the transcendental Greek tongue. Heaven help her, thought she, if any among Innocence’s extravagant farce peered through her crenelated resolve. 

Spying a familiar face in the crowd, Anna drops a generous coin purse into the slick palms of her ladies and rushes to join Gülsah at her side, her skirts crushing over a train of rose-petals and herbs scattered about the concubine. ‘Sultana,’ Anna purred with an ostentatious sweep of her arm, linen and silk embroidered with the fleur-de-lis of her adopted, schismatic kingdom latching onto the breeze like an eagle in flight. ‘Will you bow to me as a Queen, or may we continue our tradition of sisterly barbs?’

[sic-k]

I just learned how to edit and i spent my entire afternoon doing this. Its my first time watching mc, i'm trying to avoid bigger spoilers to draw my own conclusions.

Hurrem is a tough character, most of the time I wonder why they made her a protagonist (when I get annoyed by all her drama). She is stubborn, vindictive, suspicious, jealous, explosive and disrespectful.

This scene its on E38, she tried to kill Isabella because she had feelings (and sex) with her polygamous man (which it is something that it will always make me laugh), her monogamous christian spirit must be needing a break after living on a Harem, she literally want to destroy everything related romantically to Suleyman.

I used to see that as such childish thing to do, then i remembered E1 when she was sold as a slave - AS A SLAVE -, went through years without knowing nothing about her family - probably dead - AND THEN, the most powerful guy of their times falls in love with her, it's obvious that anyone in her shoes would grab that love with all their strength.

She was thrown into completely new customs and a system totally different from what she knew. Mahidrevan, Ibrahim and Valide has their bizarre aliance that repressed Hurrem - Daye Hatun, Sumbul, Gulsah too as pawns - without pity or mercy.

Valide shouldn't be surprised at all by her rebellious and vengeful way, In this particular episode she (and the other ladys) are expecting an extreme punishment to Hurrem and when it didn't happened they got sooo mad, they just wanted Hurrem gone so they can do nothing and nothing all day long.

In E38, Valide questions Suleyman about the immensity of Hurrem's power and how powerful the influence of this power is on him… He doesn't even give her a concrete answer, not only because he doesn't want to discuss this particular subject with his mom, but because he doesn't even know how to explain what that ruthena does with his heart, this clips above this text shows that, and yeah, I don't buy that when he said to Pargali that he was calm because he already knew where the princess were.

--

I want to bring more clips of nigar and Ibrahim, let it out my thoughts about this amazing ship but i read something here that told me that theres more coming soooo.....

If you read til here, please apologize the mistakes, i'm 🇧🇷, english its not my first language

[magnificentposting-fabrizioart]

I mean if they did happen there would be no point in writing them as fanfic scenarios.

As for Sons of Ankara I just have the vague idea of a parody of both MC and Sons of Anarchy bc tbh a mafia like organization is a very apt translation of certain dynamics. Also this all came to my mind because at one point in Season 1 (I think the first Hungary campaign) Suleyman wears what I can only describe as a barely disguised period piece reskin of a biker jacket.

Maybe we could have the gang straight up CALLED the Ottomans/the Dinasty, lol.

Not sure of how the harem dynamic translates, what I do know is that I'd love for this version of Nigar and Hurrem to become closer on a more equal footing, at least with time.

Ibrahim being bullied and taking it out on everyone below him and kinda passive aggressively on Matrakci is gonna be a constant ALTHOUGH I have no idea what could be the modern day equivalent of the type of racism he faces in the show (although that convo we had on "rosewater Frenks" might apply) or what sport should Nasuh be street famous for and be nicknamed after.

If you had to write a fanfic about Magnificent Century, what would it be about?

The same question for fan art if you can’t answer the above.

Oh boy where do I start.

Well, besides the obvious "What if the show allowed Nigar to be queer as vibes told me she was?", and assuming we preserve the timeline, couple ideas.

-What if Leo and Viktoria realized they were natural allies, tried to plot together, failed, and then escaped together, to Persia and beyond? Honestly I see it as a potential ship but it could be a lot of stuff.

-LOTS of possible Suleyman introspection angles. Maybe reminiscing about HIS childhood while watching Mustafa, and I'd make SURE to highlight the cognitive dissonance that has to be somewhere in there.

-Something about the hilarious correspondence he had w/ a couple of Italian figures begging for him to help/promising to help with an invasion of Italy (The Duke of Mantova, Lucrezia Gonzaga). Somehow I'd find out how the mention that thing I read about parmesan being all the rage in Topkapi too.

-Lots of angles where you could tackle street life in the Empire, Istanbul and beyond.

-50% joking (?) but Biker Gang modern AU titled Sons of Ankara just because the idea is hilarious.

-Inner monologue of Suleyman's reaction to Charles the V abdicating. Actually I think a movie/short show about the two of them in parallel would be fascinating, we have the two biggest egos of the Mediterranean (there might have been fierce competition in Asia) and nominally top figures of their respective worlds that also kinda never had the showdown of the century both were raised and primed to dream of, and I'm morbidly fascinated by that dynamic.

It's also hilarious to imagine show Suleyman's brain smoking by him trying to even CONCEIVE of the concept of abdicating.

[awkward-sultana]

Magnificent Century + Costumes in 1.20: The Irreparable Loss

[zeldaxxi]

what irks me the most about the whole Hatice/Ibrahim/Nigar deal is how the writers forced the "Ibrahim can't handle a powerful woman so he cheats with a more submissive one"

like don't get me wrong it could be a pretty compelling narrative. so what's the problem? THIS NARRATIVE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE WITH THE CHARACTERS YOU HAVE.

why tf does Ibrahim even feel like a slave in their marriage? Hatice's outburst was literally a one time thing. it doesn't define their dynamic at all. their relationship is very much healthy by soap opera standards. if he were married to Sah instead it would make more sense. or maybe, if you really wanted to portray Ibrahim as being so insecure that one emotional outburst from his wife ruined a loving relationship, THEN SHOW THAT. show Ibrahim immediately distancing himself from Hatice, to which she responds with even more outbursts, turning it into a vicious cycle. show their relationship slowly deteriorating and then build up to the affair. do not, under any circumstances, show a loving relationship that Ibrahim randomly decides to ruin by calling back to one emotional outburst.

ok, so we established that Ibrahim feels threatened by his wife. he wants to have an affair with a more submissive woman. great! how tf does that equal Nigar? that woman is not at all submissive, it's only an act she plays to get ahead and survive. she's no Gulsah that actually gets unhealthly attached to her master. she's also no Hurrem, whose entire life depends on submitting to a man.

"but she's in love with Ibrahim! that's why she's submissive!" that's boring and sexist. Nigar genuinely loved both Hurrem and Daye and she still held her own. she was scared of Mahidevran and Valide and still held her own. she helds her own even when feelings are involved. she has all the reasons to be both pragmatic and in love with Ibrahim. so just like with Hatice, you either replace her with a character that would actually act like this, or tweak it so it's more in character. she's pragmatic and an opportunist! like maybe she could start her affair with Ibrahim because she's scared of what might happen to her if she says no, and then she decides to make the best of it! to willingly play the part of a submissive woman to make that man her sugar daddy! i'm talking "babe i think we could get caught here why not buy me a house? 🥰🥰"

and for the love of god, if that's really the narrative you're going for, why walk it all back? why not have Hatice divorce him? thus weakening him politically? thus leading to his execution? THUS HAVING THIS WHOLE DAMN THING ACTUALLY LEAD TO SOMETHING??? REINFORCE THE "IBRAHIM IS HIS OWN WORST ENEMY" THEME YOU WERE GOING FOR???

[palaceoftears]

Mahi thinking about how forming a family outside the palace would be :c and Gulsah not being capable of letting go💔. They hsve been together for 10 years after all, she doesn't know better than serving her, Mahidevran IS her family as much as Suleyman and the rest is it for Mahi, and so that's why both master and servant were ready to do anything to keep their beloved ones, which only turned to divide them even more after their actions threatened not only a rival, but also the familiar in question (Mahi putting poison on Suleyman's table, Gulsah risking Mahidevran's position by attacking Gulnihal). The two of them also overstep their respective positions by doing so. Mahidevran, a concubine, requires from Suleyman the loyalty he should have for a wife, Gulsah wants to be valuable for Mahi but also to make decisions for both or them, equaling her humilliation to her sultana's when she's just her servant (maybe she also sees herself as Mahidevran's wife 👀, this dialogue is kind of confirming that atp she can't see herself as someone else's soo). And Mustafa works as some type of union between both Suly-Mahi & Mahi-Gulsah, ofc he's an stronger one for the first pair, he's their son, but I think his care for Gulsah recovering may also have influenced Mahidevran giving her other chance, she's been shown to be a second (or third, shall we make ibro and gulsah compete for the role?) mother for him after all, in certain way that makes all of them family too.

There's also the fact that Gulsah is someone her sultana can rely on, the only one that she could truly trust for so many time, she knows every little facet of hers and I think in a palace where you have to always put a facade on, it must be a relief. That's why this just comes as a sincere wish from Mahidevran (in contrast to later, when she just wants to get rid of her servant by marrying her off), for Gulsah to escape what she can't, and it parallels her letting go off Nergissah, only that this time she accepts Gulsah's useful loyalty and keeps her at her service, while in s4 she reachs that selfless stage for which she can actually send her closest ones away. Same that she wanted to do to the only one that serves her at that point, Fidan, even if the later refuses (and Fidan is another old woman so there's not many chances for her, similar to Sumbul/Hurrem but even w less posibilities since she's as poor as Mahi). But what both scenes share is Mahidevran's idea of family as a salvation from sorrow, a new start that she can't give to neither Gulsah or Nergissah and Fidan.

During e25 Mahi herself is trapped in a situation she can't do much against, only staying patient untill she explodes later in the season, while, after Mustafa's death, she's already experienced the happiness of the new start of a family, her granddaughter being all it's left from it... An orphan, in the "spring of her youth", sent to an unknown powerful future husband, whose child she could name Mustafa. It is a little similar to Mahidevran's own story, to the untold part of it and what we know of her before Suleyman's accession to the throne, that she took refuge in his love, they became a family, possibly the reason for her to begin again and never mention her past out loud (and seemingly not even remembering it). And with a new family it comes a new identity, makes a lot of sense Nur refers to Suleyman as a paternal figure for Mahidevran, he's the patriarch of the new household she goes to after all, he gives her life a new meaning, she's his "spring rose"/gulbahar and everything she does has to please him (he even says he's "proud" of her when she gives birth to Mustafa). It caught my attention that, as much as she takes on a maternal role during all of Nergissah's life, she also shows a little bit of that side to Gulsah here, who also shapes her identity in relation to Mahi, dedicating her life to make her happy and proud (and, like Plami pointed out here, Gulsah's name meaning forecasts her ambition for more while ties her all the most to her master). For both women, the struggle is they can't make more mistakes since the families they belong to could discard them (Mahi can send Gulsah outside, she sent her to Edirne once, same place Suleyman warns he could exile his haseki to in e23) but can't truly adapt to the new situation either, what they consider their home it's very unstable and it's doomed to break. As a result, Gulsah will eventually change sides and Mahidevran will redirect her efforts to Mustafa, they're going to become traitors, with the difference Mahi will have the opportunity to begin again far from Topkapi, to form another family with her son, even if once again it will prove to be unstable (tho this time not for internal factors between them, but for external ones).

In certain way, Mahidevran is a nomad through all the series, from an unknown place in the past before she was an slave, to wherever she may have gone to be educated, to Manisa's palace, to Topkapi, to Edirne, Topkapi again, Manisa again, to Amasya and later Bursa. And what's important about that for this post is that everytime she tasted the peace and happiness of family she had to lose it, being it via Suleyman falling out of love with her, the sudden deaths of baby Suleyman, Fatma hatun & Ibrahim pasha or by how the Amasya fam was murdered. She could never rely on the security and the simpleness of the family lives she describes to Gulsah and Nergissah. By the end of the show Mahidevran is symbolically an orphan not only of the parents we don't know, also of the men that gave different meanings to her life inside the system, Suleyman and Mustafa. Still, a little bit of her hope survives with Nergissah escaping this life full of suffering and I find it poetic and very telling that, while we see the damage the succession wars are bringing and Suleyman's obsession for loyalty, Mahi is ready to give up all she has (even if little, but she transfers the servants that remain with her to her granddaughter) for Nergissah to find peace in a new home.

[mc-critical]

E22 is certainly all about the deepest fears and suspicions of the characters related to belonging (or rather, NOT belonging) that accumulate through the whole episode (as it gets more and more likely for them to be fully realized), which in turn makes the jealousy and/or resentment within these characters grow.

Ibrahim starts off still ruminating on Beyhan's words from a previous event relayed to him through Hatice in the previous episode, so his fear is immediately established: the fear of his death coming forth regardless, and from the sultan's hands worst of all; of his place in SS's heart, in the family's hearts, ultimately always ending up shaky and temporary; of him being discarded and erased at a moment's notice; of him never actually meaning anything to anyone, thus he aims for the biggest sense of belonging out of everyone else here: SS is most valuable to him, of course, as this is his first bond in this foreign world, but that value and his approval also turn out predicated and empowered by the value and approval everyone else gives him too. As it all begins from the possibility of a future action of SS and his bad mood that could possibly mean anything in the next day, then it goes to Mustafa's opinion on Ibrahim's closeness to SS, and then it circles back to SS again as a reaction to Mustafa's reaction (hence the smallest recurring disapproval, as Mustafa's stance here is a continuation of Mustafa's remark in E03, means wide disapproval — this is why in Ibrahim's dream everyone is out there witnessing and almost delighting in his execution; even Hatice who is clearly sad, is portrayed with resignation, as if the execution is an inevitablity she has to accept and never go against - this is of course also informed by what Ibrahim has seen of Hatice so far, how she couldn't oppose SS's decision to marry her to Mehmet Celebi even though she loves Ibrahim and aches inside and always claims to not be able handle it if she loses him, so the only thing he can say and do is try to spare her the pain). Ibrahim has to fully belong in order not to be reminded of what he's lost before and what he can lose now, but his sense of belonging is so fragile that every little thing can create big, irreparable cracks, bringing him to realize that he never actually belonged anywhere and what's more striking, he has nowhere to belong now as he's lost everything. This is terrifying to him and he can't share it with anyone (not even Hatice could really provide him solace: she calmed him down a bit, sure, but she also related to Mustafa's motives - right on par with Hatice's theme of relating this episode - that perhaps meaning to Ibrahim that even she can't be reliable, that even she could turn her similar possessiveness against him, if she can muster to do even that), so he buries it deep - he is the only one who doesn't lash out due to his fear in this episode, but this sense of fear beginning with him colors the whole rest of the episode and remains an omen of what's to come next. It's this fear that will make him more offensive, more insistent to secure his position even more and remove everyone who stands on the way of that, even in this season finale.

Mustafa's fear is established by one event in this exact episode that puts him at odds with his brother more directly than ever before (there's a reason why this is their first lesson together): the fear of him not becoming a padişah; of him being replaced by someone else, and by someone else who he too loves worst of all; of his efforts not being recognized; of his father leaving him behind forever, not wanting him, not loving him anymore; of him not having the future he's been eager and preparing to have, what's his use if he doesn't have it?, in that case the only thing he can do is disappear, thus he aims for a narrower sense of belonging: he cares about the rest of his family, but his father's love matters to him most of all. He looks up to him and is inspired by him, trying his best to follow his example in order to be the best he can be. And he is constantly encouraged by everyone to be the best he can be, so when even the smallest threat to that come up, his whole self is challenged, so what's left is to lash out, to defend his beliefs and mindset, to make this fear known in order to evade it. He doesn't belong without his father's love that gives him all he craves. He can't belong if that isn't there. And his belonging predicates on him being prioritized at all times, as this isn't a place reserved only for him, it turns out; anyone can take it away. So Mehmet's assertion plants this fear, while Ibrahim's place next to SS confirms it (Mahidevran here, just like Hatice with Ibrahim, tried to comfort Mustafa by putting Mehmet's words into context as well to an extent, but Mustafa actually managed to ease up until the Ibrahim matter popped up), so Mustafa's reaction is precisely that kind of lashing out. The lashing out culminates the episode but there's some finality attached to it as well, as it is the last such clash Mustafa has with Ibrahim (with him realizing his mistake afterwards) - from that point on, they will fully be a source of support for one another. Even his jealousy of Mehmet that sets up the future becomes more restrained.

Gülşah's fear is established by a series of events in this exact episode, feeding into each other and fueling her at every turn: the fear of falling into disgrace alongside with her closest person, or on her own worst of all; of being scolded by both the person she loves and the person she hates; of being mocked and ridiculed; of being denied the agency to do anything about it, as everyone else overpowers her either by being above her or simply being the majority. Her fear seems the most driven out of self-preservation, not so much out of a desire to belong at first, however these two are interlinked for her as well. Her very survival is predicated by the most narrow sense of belonging: on her sultana, the only person who can give her any sense of belonging. Her job is being next to her, so she has to share her joys and sorrows, but she also gets her sense of respect and worth namely from that role, so she can't help but make these joys and sorrows her own. E22 is the first time this is challenged however, since we see her outside of her sultana for the first time, as even what she has to do due to her role as her servant (taking Mustafa from the lessons and defending him) and as a servant in general (bringing Mehmet to Hürrem), is challenged and that whole facade of respect from others due to her sultana is fully broken (even Nigar's threats and almost drowning Gülşah before are because of something Mahidevran's ordered and done, this here has next to nothing to do with Mahidevran) and then her own wishes to seek justice and accountability are uncovered, but the more her sultana seems to not join in, the more Gülşah loses every sense of belonging in each moment (the mockery of the girls of the harem is only there to accentuate that loss and reveal how alone she is) and the only thing she can do is desperately tie them to her sultana, to cling to her in order to convince herself of her righteousness, of how she hasn't lost her sense of belonging actually, isn't that right?? She has no choice: the disillusionment, the resentment only grow throughout the entire episode and she can't really share the full extent of her sorrow with anyone - even her sultana wants her to suck it and wait, but she's sick of waiting, of being humiliated, so she provides the final imminent lashing out of the episode, the one that sets up the future the most in terms of Gülşah's relationship with Mahidevran, as well as it sets up the main deal of the very next episode.