Vidicom : The Ottoman Empire - Secrets of the Sultan : Text

The Orient - for centuries, a source of myth and fascination to the West. Tales of 1001 nights inspired Western arts, literature and music. Few travelers dared the "orient adventure". Those who did told magic tales of the Sultans' uncontested glory, of splendid palaces and breathtaking riches.

Yet the home of the West's wildest dreams was also the source of its darkest nightmares. The Sultans' power seemed as unlimited as their riches. For more than 600 years, the peoples of Europe feared the might of the vast Ottoman Empire, one of the longest lasting dynasties in history.

Its territory spanned over Greece, the Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa. At the zenith of the "Ottoman threat", the Sultans' fierce warriors made the troops of Europe's kings and emperors tremble with fear - until the Ottomans' power slowly faded. After the dramatic climax of the state bancruptcy of 1875, Christianity's most dreadful enemy turned into the "Sick Man of the Bosporus".

Secrets of the Sultans captures the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire in an international co-production produced to the highest standards. Filmed in some of the world's most beautiful and exotic locations in Turkey, Syria, Austria, Jordan and Iraq, and featuring a host of charismatic personalities including the descendants of the Ottoman rulers, this film is a richly photographed visual feast for prime time audiences all over the world.