Intrigue, betrayal, love, war, progress, and tradition provide a colourful backdrop against which the lives of an Ottoman army officer, the Sultan's personal doctor, a scion of the royal house, and a beguiling Turkish aristocrat play out. All the while, the society to which they belong is transforming, and the Sublime Empire disintegrates. Here is a Turkish saga reminiscent of War and Peace, that traces not only the social currents of the time but also the erotic and emotional lives of its characters.