By Alamir Kamal Farag

The Turkish series Hareem AL- Sultan achieved  high watching rates, especially in the Arab world. Despite the popularity of the Turkish drama generally in the Arab world, "Hareem Al-Sultan" remains having the biggest echo for the Arab public.

The historical drama suffers from the monotony and repetition, even beating out the ideals of development and the slow pace. But the success of the Turkish series "historic" puts many question marks.

That work is considered the largest one in the history of the Turkish drama. The main actors are Khaled Ergch, in the role of "Sultan Suleiman Al- kanoni". And the main actress is  Mary Ozirle in the role of "Sultana Huyam". The serial tells the story of an important period of Ottoman history, a reign of Sultan Suleiman the Al-kanoni . He is the tenth Sultans of the Ottoman and the longest period of rule in 1520 until his death in 1566. Ottoman Empire has become the most powerful and width nation in the world.

Historical works were not in the  equation with politics, sex, crime, and finally the Comedy works for the producers. The emergence of a wave of youth comedies initiated by Mohammed Saad , Mohamed Heneidy and others. That ensure the popular success of any work . Thus yielding good money.

So how this importer work  could penetrated this rule and was able to attract millions of Arabs.
The same applies to Turkish drama as awhole . And which was able to attract individuals and families  even children . After the wave of  Mexican serials in the eighties and nineties.The Turkish drama appeared to move in the same direction.


"The market likes that" . It's a phrase repeated by many producers. It's a ready response said to    everyone that criticize the technical level. In the presence of this popular logic; it forced the producer to avoid "the value" to provide what the puplic  wants . Whatever it is Violence, Sex ,Crime .What's important among these that make a profit.

This misconception was the cause of the wave of construction in the eighties movies. They are financially successful films and a lot of viewers, but failed technically. By the time they became bad markers in the record of their representatives and producers. Because of such films ; despite it's high financial, but quickly fades into space. It's like the junk food that is  easy and delicious, but ultimately remain unhealthy affecting humans an increase fats and cholesterol, and in an advanced stage causes the heart disease.
Turkish drama producers like the producers of "Mexican" in the past and before them many years Indian filmmakers put their eyes on the "market requirements", they took the mixture that achieved popular success. The  beauty is an essential element in the success of the Turkish drama  providing many artists who are very beautiful which is an element that we cannot deny its role in attracting the viewers.

Although the Turkish beauty is known, the producers focused on this beauty. By using the accessories and fashions, like "Hareem Al- Sultan" which is a continuous show of fashion and make-up , hairstyles and accessories . They are all elements that attract any girl and attracts the impressive of any young man.

 . The second element that is presented by the Turkish is the charming nature that are characterized by their country.They took pictures of natural scenes which may be ideal for the tourist areas of Turkey, and attracts the viewer giving it a reality may not be available to many.

The serial looked at several times like a series of a tourism promotion for Turkey, and this is what has already been achieved. Where this serial helped in the emergence of the so-called the" Turkish Manic  ", and we mean the increasing of Arabs' turnout to travel to Turkey for tourism, and the emergence of accessories and images inspired by the series sold in the youth stores, and the buying of the accessories and fashions that mimic the fashion of the beautiful artists who appeared  in the serial..

Perhaps one evidence is the emergence of " Huyam's ring" in the markets.It is a beautiful turquoise ring was worn by the actress ,Mary the Ozirle, "Huyam" the wife of Sultan Suleyman AL-Kanoni. This has prompted a number of companies to produce a version of this ring that has a high demand in the Arab world, especially the Gulf. And those who responsible for the revitalization of tourism used this point specifically in the promotion of tourism to Turkey. The principals of a Turkish exhibition held recently in Dubai has provided large amounts of this ring for distribution to visitors.

If a ring has achieved all this admiration so what about the other elements like the clothes and the haircut as well as the wonderful and historic décor.

But the attention of the producers with the market 's needs was not the only reason for the success of the serial. They added the elements of beauty and nature . The most important element is the high technical potential.

Turkish art production features high technical viable, whether in the field of scenario, production, decoration, lighting, acting, or directing. At the level of the  excellence of the scenario;it has an interdependence and a serial fiction. It was also marked by the decorative lighting and directing . And, above all , the  excellence of the Turkish actors, whether a man or a woman for performance the historical and personal reincarnation. All this had a role in the success of the serial.

Another factor can be added to the factors aboveis the psychological factor that is  manifested in the general acceptance of the Turkish politics in the Arab world. This acceptance that sometimes up to a degree of admiration because of  some situations of successive Turkish politicians. They are led by Turkish Prime Minister, Ragab Tayyip Erdogan, who overt pro-Palestinian, and reject the blockade of Gaza, and also his retiring from the economic conference;Davos; in 2009 objecting to the speech of Israeli President Shimon Peres about Gaza which appeared in the media and Arab world.

The Psychological factor always has a role in the acceptance of the product. A lot of products are refused by the popular because of the lack of the psychological relief to them. And vice versa alot of products spread and enjoyed the success because of the availability of this psychological factor .We can add another psychological role provided by the serial to highlight the important and honorabl era in the Islamic history. At the same time, Islamic history is fightened in the contemporary time.

Despite of many gains that achieved by the serial "Hareem Al-Sultan" ,Turkish Prime Minister Ragab Tayyip Erdogan is angry of the serial and said that it does not represent Turkey and it distorts the Ottoman history

Erdogan said in remarks to news agency Anatolia Turkish in December 2011 "Our ancestors are not like being photographed in the serial," he added, "We do not know Sultan Suleiman Al-kanoni 's character that shows in the serial," pointing out that the Sultan, who arrived the Ottoman Empire in the custody of the height of its power spent 30 years on the back of horses in the context of wars and conquests waged.

This speech was followed by the Turkish Parliament last month issued a decision of preventing  the serial of being shown in Turkey. Oktay Saral introduced a deputy in the Turkish parliament for the ruling party Justice and Development Party calling for stopping the show of the serial "Great century", it's known in the Arab world "Hareem Al- Sultan". Because of what was considered a distortion of image of Al-Sultan Suleiman Al-Kanoni who passed dozens of laws during the period of Ottoman states .The petition said that the serial has shown him as a womanizer.


But this situation can be interpreted in the light of the internal Turkish political situation in terms of politics and elections .Parties have private accounts may contravene expected. Especially if we consider that 70 thousand complaints presented by Turkish citizens against the serial.

The art critic , Noha Gaber, believes that  preventing the serial is an unjustified step and it is an attack on the freedom of creativity . And she added that the artwork differs from historical documentation.

She said that the "Sultans of Turkey in that period had already sumptuous palaces with a corner dedicated to the women . And it was their right to own any number of women. Noting that there is no exaggeration in monitoring the events requiring a special stop for the  serial by a parliamentary decision.