Sultan Abdulhamid II hosting a dinner at Yildiz Palace, Istanbul. Halftone by C. Hentschel, 1895, after J. Nash.

Abdulhamid II (1842–1918) was the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and the last Sultan to exert effective autocratic control. He was known his innovative attitudes

The setting shows a combination of West and East. Though the table and the room are mostly decorated in European fashion, oriental pomp and majesty is nevertheless dominant, for instance, in the gold chair of the Sultan, the use of men servants (Turkish women servants could not be used for service to foreign men), abstinence from alcohol by the Sultan, etc.

[London] : [The Graphic], [28 December 1895]

1 print : halftone ; image 21.6 x 29.6 cm

The Sultan entertaining guests at dinner in the Yildiz Palace The Sultan dines after the European fashion. Gold and silver candelabra and massive epergnes, with flowers and fruit, decorate the table. The Sultan offered wine to his guests, but took only water himself. On the occasion represented in our illustration the Sultan's First Chamberlain, Munir Pasha, acted as interpreter, standing behind His Majesty's gold chair. The dinner was accompanied by music, a fine military band playing during the meal. J. Nash. C. Hentschel sc.

Wellcome Collection 2150206i