The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus
Türkiye

The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus

by Ayşe Osmanoğlu

Revolution & Change Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Family Saga 2020

Summary

Istanbul, 1903. Behind the guarded walls of Çırağan Palace, former Sultan Murad V and his family have spent nearly three decades in enforced confinement, prisoners of the very dynasty they belong to. As political unrest spreads and revolution threatens the Ottoman Empire, Murad fears for the future of his children and grandchildren. He dreams of their freedom, happiness, and the chance to build lives beyond the palace walls. But dangerous political plots, assassination attempts, and family scandals threaten to destroy everything he holds dear. Drawing on the history of her own imperial family, Ayşe Osmanoğlu brings the final decades of Ottoman rule to life in a richly detailed novel about family loyalty, sacrifice, and the price of power.

Reviews

Login to leave a review.

No reviews yet. Be the first!

You might also like

Birds Without Wings
Birds Without Wings
Louis de Bernières
Without a Country
Without a Country
Ayşe Kulin
Love in Exile
Love in Exile
Ayşe Kulin
Last Train to Istanbul
Last Train to Istanbul
Ayşe Kulin
Country
Türkiye
Asia
About the author
Ayşe Osmanoğlu
Ayşe Osmanoğlu

Ayşe Gülnev Osmanoğlu is a British-born author and a direct descendant of the Ottoman imperial family. Born in Henley-on-Thames, England, in 1971, she descends from Sultan Murad V through her paternal grandfather and Sultan Mehmed V Reşad through her paternal grandmother. She studied History and Politics at the University of Exeter before earning a master’s degree in Turkish Studies from SOAS, University of London, where she specialised in Ottoman history. Her personal connection to the dynasty informs her historical novels, which combine extensive research with family recollections to explore the final decades of Ottoman rule. Her books include The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus (2020), A Farewell to Imperial İstanbul (2024), and Palace in the Mist (2026). Through the Ottoman Dynasty Chronicles, she brings readers into the private lives of imperial family members during a period of profound political transformation. She is a mother of five and divides her time between Türkiye, France, and the United Kingdom.

View author page
Details
Published
2020
Author
Ayşe Osmanoğlu