Constantinople

We all have preconceived notions. It’s unavoidable. One of the most exciting things about doing book research is discovering all the ways in which our assumptions about people, places, and history are wrong. In the course of writing five novels, I’ve been forced again and again to revise my opinions about our Victorian counterparts. Of all the books I’ve written, none has surprised me as much as TEARS OF PEARL. I’d decided to send Emily and Colin to Constantinople for their honeymoon—partly because I loved the exotic nature of the city and partly because I liked the idea of Emily, who struggles with the limits English society placed on women in the nineteenth century, in a society where the so-called weaker sex were even more repressed.

Sounds great, right? I thought so. But after I’d read letters and memoirs from women of the period, I realized the Ottoman ladies had a great deal more freedom and upward mobility than the average Englishwoman of the time. Their veils, which I’d ignorantly viewed as repressive, actually gave them quite a bit of freedom—they enabled them to move about the city freely without anyone knowing who they were. Meeting a lover in a café? No problem. The veil keeps you anonymous.

While working on the book, I visited Istanbul (because, as we all know, you can’t go back to Constantinople…). It's an absolutely magnificent city--if you ever have the opportunity to go, grab it at once. The food, the people, the culture, the museums, and the palaces are like nothing else I'd seen before. Below you will find pictures from my trip, as well as links to further information about the city and Ottoman culture. I've also included a link to letters written by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who lived in Constantinople while her husband was ambassador. If you think it's unlikely that an English woman could have access to the harem or walk freely through the city, read Lady Mary and you'll see it's more than possible. It happened...


Courtyard in the wonderful Empress Zoe Hotel	Street outside my hotel

Seraglio Point from a boat on the Bosphorus - I had excellent weather despite it being January....	Müşir Ahmet Paşa Station, where the Orien Express arrived

Food, glorious food in the Grand Bazaar	Baklava Heaven....

Some of the best bread ever!	Research is a girl's best friend! The guards in Topkapı Palace were incredibly diverted by my constant note-taking. In the end, they asked if they could take my picture and are eagerly awaiting copies of the book....

The Gate of Salutation at Topkapı through which Emily enters on her first visit to the palace.	Heading toward the harem at Topkapı

Murals on the wall in the Valide Sultan's apartments at Topkapı, where Emily first meets Bezime. Bezime did, in actual fact, reside in Topkapı after her tenure as a concubine	The Valide Sultan's bedroom in Topkapı

Exterior corridor at Topkapı	More Topkapı exterior

Courtyard of the Concubines in the harem at Topkapı	Mural on wall in one of the harem courtyards at Topkapı

Sultan's seating area in the Imperial Hall in Topkapı's harem	Again in the Imperial Hall. Here, under the gallery is the area in which the Valide Sultan and the favorite concubines would sit. Emily and Margaret visit Bezime here.

The gallery above the Valide's section. Other less important concubines would gather here, hoping for a glimpse of the Sultan below.	The Sultan's bedroom at Topkapı. Candles would have been placed in the wall alcoves. The large opening in the center of the wall is a fountain--the sound of running water made it more difficult for conversations to be overheard.

The Sultan's bed at Topkapı. If I were Abdül Hamit, I'm not sure I would have moved to Yıldız...	The Sultan's hamam at Topkapı. He would lock himself behind the golden gate so that he could bathe without worrying about possible assassination. I look like I could use a good hamam....

Gorgeous room in Topkapı. Originally intended for the Crown Princes (their gilded cages....), but I have Emily sit with Bezime here as the Princes would no longer have been at Topkapı at the time of the novel.	The Courtyard of the Favorites at Topkapı, where a body is found.

Detail of the Blue Mosque, where Emily seeks spiritual grace.	Aya Sofya

Statues in the Archaeology Museum	Detail of sarcophogus in the Archaeology Museum

Inside the Spice Bazaar, site of Emily's rendez-vous with Benjamin St. Clare	Dolmabahçe Palace...rejected by Abdüld Hamit II because of its proximity to the Bosphorus. He feared assassins would try to reach him from the water.

Walls at Yıldız, Abdül Hamit II's home...	In the park at Yıldız, where Emily meets Roxelana.

On the grounds of Yıldız	Detail of facade at Yıldız. This building housed royal guests and was the bit of the palace open to visitors when I was there.

State Room at Yıldız	Interior at Yıldız

Sultan's Swag.....	A pedestrian little tea service.....

The Bosphorus from Dolmabahçe...	The Bosphorus from Topkapı...
Explore Istanbul further...... Ottoman History Excursions from the Harem Yalis: Mansions on the Water The Basilica Cistern Images of Constantinople 1890-1893 The Letters and Works of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Guidelines for 1890s Evening Wear