Neo-Ottomanism versus Ottomania: contestation of gender in historical drama

Abstract

The recent imagery of the Ottoman imperial past in Turkey contains two trajectories. First, the state-driven neo-Ottomanism, which attempts to revive the past in government-controlled domains, and, second, the representation of neo-Ottomanism in popular culture, which we call “Ottomania”. While the first trajectory tries to monopolise historical truth in a state-controlled narrative of the past, the second trajectory presents a stylised and eclectic past in search of a popularised pleasure. In this chapter, we expand on the two case studies, Magnificent Century, a controversial 2011 soap opera depicting Ottoman harem intrigues, and Resurrection: Ertuğrul, a state-endorsed 2014 show that portrays the nomadic beginnings of the Ottoman Empire. As we examine how Ottomania and neo-Ottomanism interact, we situate gender as one of the central sites of the tense relationship between these two discourses. We argue that, ultimately, neo-Ottomanism attempts to co-opt Ottomania and solidify its own gendered interpretation through Resurrection: Ertuğrul.