REAL HISTORICAL CHARACTERS (who have inspired the story)

OTTOMANS

Prince Hamid - Abdul Hamid (1842-1918), second heir to the throne, son of Sultan Medjid and Tirimujgan Kadin; step-mother Peresto Sultan.

Prince Murad (1840-1904) - Crown Prince, became Sultan Murad V (May 1876-August 1876); son of Sultan Medjid and Sevkefza Sultan, brother of Hamid.

Sultan Abdelaziz (1830-1876) - brother of Sultan Medjid, Son of Sultan Mahmud II and Pertevniyal Valide Sultan.

Sultan Medjid (1839-1861) - father of Hamid, brother of Abdelaziz, son of Sultan Mahmud II, husband of Peresto Sultan and Tirimujgan Kadin.

Sultan Mahmud II - father of Sultan Medjid and Sultan Abdelaziz, husband of Pertevniyal Valide Sultan.

Prince Yusufeddin (1857-1916) - son of Sultan Abdelaziz, cousin of Hamid and Murad and after them in line of succession.

Peresto Sultan (1826-1904) - wife of Sultan Medjid, step-mother of Hamid, became the last Valide of the Ottoman Empire.

Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (1812-1883) - a former bath attendant who became the wife of Sultan Mahmud II, mother of Sultan Abdelaziz and Valide when he became Sultan.

Tirimujgan Kadin - Hamid's biological mother, died in tuberculosis when he was ten years old.

Sevkefza Sultan (1825-1889) - wife of Sultan Medjid, mother of Crown Prince Murad.

Midhat Pasha (1822-1883) - Grand Vizier (previously Minister of Justice, Governor); pro-modernisation, pro-constitution.

Huseyin Avni Pasha (1820-1876) - Minister of War.

EUROPEANS

Flora Cordier - nothing is known about her other than that she came from Hanaut in Belgium and that she probably married Hamid in 1876 before she disappeared.

Reshid - alias Arminius Vambery - born Hermann - or Chaim - Wamberger (1831 or 32-1913), Hungarian; son of a pious and dirt poor Talmud scholar who became a trader in leeches and then died! His mother, whose name I don't know, was illiterate but smart, sacrificed everything to make sure her son got an education (even if it meant having him pose as a Hungarian Catholic). Reshid is said to have mastered 18 languages and dialects!

Sir Elliot - British Ambassador in Constantinople 1876.

Count Nicolai Ignatieff (1832-1908) - Russian Ambassador to Constantinople in 1876.

FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

OTTOMANS

Kizlar Agha - or the Chief Black Eunuch, the highest ranking Agha in the harem who held one of the most important posts in the Empire.

Kapi Agha - Master of the Privy Chamber (all important members of the harem had their own.

Mustafa - palace eunuch, Peresto's right hand and "fixer".

Jurad - eunuch, Hamid's Master of the Chambers.

Reza - leader of the Softa protesters.

Anoush - older sister of Siran, Armenian refugee from Anatolia and Flora's helper.

Siran - younger sister of Anoush, Armenian refugee from Anatolia and Flora's helper.

Fatma - Hamid's younger sister, married to one of the wealthiest Pashas of the empire.

Surur - wife of Midhat Pasha.

EUROPEANS

William Seagrave - British industrialist and financier, Flora's suitor.

Jane Seagrave - younger sister of William Seagrave.