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I’ve never mentioned to anybody：
1。 My own portrait； but I knew however hard the Sultan’s miniaturists
tried； they’d fail； because even if they could see my beauty； woefully； none of
them would believe a woman’s face was beautiful without depicting her eyes
and lips like a Chinese woman’s。 Had they represented me as a Chinese beauty；
the way the old masters of Herat would’ve； perhaps those who saw it and
recognized me could discern my face behind the face of that Chinese beauty。
But later generations； even if they realized my eyes weren’t really slanted；
could never determine what my face truly looked like。 How happy I’d be
today； in my old age—which I live out through the fort of my children—if
I had a youthful portrait of myself！
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2。 A picture of bliss： What the poet Blond Naz？m of Ran had pondered in
one of his verses。 I know quite well how this painting ought to be made。
Imagine the picture of a mother with her two children； the younger one；
whom she cradles in her arms； nursing him as she smiles； suckles happily at
her bountiful breast； smiling as well。 The eyes of the slightly jealous older
brother and those of the mother should be locked。 I’d like to be the mother in
that picture。 I’d want the bird in the sky to be depicted as if flying； and at the
same time； happily and eternally suspended there； in the style of the old
masters of Herat who were able to stop time。 I know it’s not easy。
My son Orhan； who’s foolish enough to be logical in all matters； reminds
me on the one hand that the time…halting masters of Herat could never depict
me as I am； and on the other hand； that the Frankish masters who perpetually
painted mother…with…child portraits could never stop time。 He’s been insisting
for years that my picture of bliss could never be painted anyhow。
Perhaps he’s right。 In actuality； we don’t look for smiles in pictures of bliss；
but rather； for the happiness in life itself。 Painters know this； but this is
precisely what they cannot depict。 That’s why they substitute the joy of seeing
for the joy of life。
In the hopes that he might pen this story； which is beyond depiction； I’ve
told it to my son Orhan。 Without hesitation I gave him the letters Hasan and
Black sent me； along with the rough horse illustrations with the smeared ink；
which were found on poor Elegant Effendi。 Above all； don’t be taken in by
Orhan if he’s drawn Black more absentminded than he is； made our lives
harder than they are； Shevket worse and me prettier and harsher than I am。
For the sake of a delightful and convincing story； there isn’t a lie Orhan
wouldn’t deign to tell。
1990–92； 1994–98
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336–330 B。C。： Darius ruled in Persia。 He was the last king of the
Achaemenids； losing his empire to Alexander the Great。
336–323 B。C。： Alexander the Great established his empire。 He conquered
Persia and invaded India。 His exploits as hero and monarch were legendary
throughout the Islamic world even until modern times。
622： The Hegira。 The emigration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca
to Medina； and the beginning of the Muslim calendar。
1010： Firdusi’s Book of Kings。 The Persian poet Firdusi （lived circa 935–
1020） presented his Book of Kings to Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni。 Its episodes
on Persian myth and history—including Alexander’s invasion； tales of the hero
Rüstem and the struggle between Persia and Turan—have inspired miniaturists
since the fourteenth century。
1206–1227： The reign of Mongol ruler Genghis Khan。 He invaded Persia；
Russia and China； and extended his empire from Mongolia to Europe。
C。 1141–1209： The Persian poet Nizami lived。 He wrote the romantic epic the
Quintet； prised of the following stories； all of which have inspired
miniaturist painters： The Treasury of Mysteries； Hüsrev and Shirin； Leyla and
Mejnun； The Seven Beauties and The Book of Alexander the Great。
1258： The Sack of Baghdad。 Hulagu （reigned 1251–1265）； the grandson of
Genghis Khan； conquered Baghdad。
1300–1922： The Ottoman Empire； a Sunni Muslim power； ruled south…
eastern Europe； the Middle East and North Africa。 At its greatest extent； the
empire reached the gates of Vienna and Persia。
1370–1405： Reign of the Turkic ruler Tamerlane。 Subdued the areas that the
Blacksheep ruled in Persia。 Tamerlane conquered areas from Mongolia to the
Mediterranean including parts of Russia； India； Afghanistan； Iran； Iraq and
Anatolia （where he defeated the Ottoman Sultan Bayazid I in 1402）。
1370–1526： The Timurid Dynasty； established by Tamerlane； fostered a
brilliant revival of artistic and intellectual life； and ruled in Persia； central Asia
and Transoxiana。 The schools of miniature painting at Shiraz； Tabriz and Herat
flourished under the Timurids。 In the early fifteenth century Herat was the
center of painting in the Islamic world and home to the great master Bihzad。
1375–1467： The Blacksheep； a Turkmen tribal federation； ruled over parts of
Iraq； eastern Anatolia and Iran。 Jihan Shah （reigned 1438–67）； the last
Blacksheep ruler； was defeated by the Whitesheep Tall Hasan in 1467。
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1378–1502： The Whitesheep federation of Turkmen tribes ruled northern
Iraq； Azerbaijan and eastern Anatolia。 Whitesheep ruler Tall Hasan （reigned
1452–78） failed in his attempts to contain the eastward expansion of the
Ottomans； but he defeated the Blacksheep Jihan Shah in 1467 and the Timurid
Abu Said in 1468； extending his dominions to Baghdad； Herat； and the Persian
Gulf。
1453： Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror took Istanbul。 Demise of
the Byzantine Empire。 Sultan Mehmet later missioned his portrait from
Bellini。
1501–1736： The Safavid Empire ruled in Persia。 The establishment of Shia
Islam as the state religion helped unify the empire。 The seat of the empire was
at first located in Tabriz； then moved to Kazvin； and later； to Isfahan。 The first
Safavid ruler； Shah Ismail （reigned 1501–24）； subdued the areas that the
Whitesheep ruled in Azerbaijan and Persia。 Persia weakened appreciably during
the rule of Shah Tahmasp I （reigned 1524–76）。
1512： The Flight of Bihzad。 The great miniaturist Bihzad emigrated from
Herat to Tabriz。
1514： The Plunder of the Seven Heavens Palace。 The Ottoman Sultan
Selim the Grim； after defeating the Safavid army at Chaldiran； plundered the
Seven Heavens Palace in Tabriz。 He returned to Istanbul with an exquisite
collection of Persian miniatures and books。
1520–66： Süleyman the Magnificent and the Golden Age of Ottoman
Culture。 The reign of Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent。 Important
conquests expanded the empire to the east and the west； including the first
seige of Vienna （1529） and the capture of Baghdad from the Safavids （1535）。
1556–1605： Reign of Akbar； Emperor of Hindustan； a descendant of
Tamerlane and Genghis Khan。 He established miniaturists’ workshops in Agra。
1566–74： The reign of Ottoman Sultan Selim II。 Peace treaties signed with
Austria and Persia。
1571： The Battle of Lepanto。 A four…hour naval battle between allied
Christian forces and the Ottomans subsequent to the Ottoman invasion of
Cyprus （1570）。 Though the Ottomans were defeated； Venice surrendered
Cyprus to the Ottomans in 1573。 The battle had great impact on European
morale and was the subject of paintings by Titian； Tintoretto and Veronese。
1574–95： The reign of Ottoman Sultan Murat III （during whose rule the
events of our novel take place）。 His rule witnessed a series of struggles between
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1578–90 known as the Ottoman…Safavid wars。 He was the Ottoman sultan
most interested in miniatures and books； and he had the Book of Skills； the
Book of Festivities