Rise of Empires: Ottoman

Rise of Empires: Ottoman is a Turkish historical docudrama, starring Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu, Tommaso Basili and Daniel Nuță. Its first season, which consists of 6 episodes, is directed by Emre Sahin and written by Kelly McPherson. It became available for streaming on Netflix on 24 January 2020. It deals with the Ottoman Empire and Mehmed the Conqueror and tells the story of the Fall of Constantinople. The second season also has 6 episodes and premiered on 29 December 2022, focusing on the 1462 campaign against Vlad the Impaler in Wallachia (in present-day Romania).

Premise
In Season 1, Rise of Empires: Ottoman, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror wages a campaign to take the Eastern Roman capital of Constantinople in 1453, resulting in the capture of the city and establishment of the Ottoman Empire.

In Season 2, Mehmed and Vlad, Mehmed the Conqueror and Vlad the Impaler, childhood companions in the Ottoman court, go head-to-head in the 1462 Ottoman invasion of Wallachia.

Cast

 * Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu as Mehmed the Conqueror
 * Tommaso Basili as Constantine XI Palaiologos (season 1)
 * Daniel Nuță as Vlad the Impaler (season 2)
 * Radu Andrei Micu as Dimitrie (season 2)
 * Ali Gözüşirin as Radu the Beautiful (season 2)
 * Tuba Büyüküstün as Mara Branković
 * Yasemin Eti as Gülbahar Hatun (season 2)
 * Damla Sönmez as Ana
 * Osman Sonant as Loukas Notaras (season 1)
 * Tolga Tekin as Murad II
 * Ushan Çakır as Zaganos Pasha
 * Nik Xhelilaj as Mahmud Pasha (season 2)
 * Selim Bayraktar as Çandarlı Halil Pasha (season 1)
 * Birkan Sokullu as Giovanni Giustiniani (season 1)
 * Tansu Biçer as Orban (season 1)
 * Nail Kırmızıgül as Hızır Çelebi (season 1)
 * Eva Dedova as Katarina (season 1)
 * Tuğrul Tülek as George Sphrantzes (season 1)
 * İlayda Akdoğan as Therma Sphrantzes (season 1)
 * Erdal Yıldız as Suleiman Baltoghlu (season 1)
 * Baki Davrak as Đurađ Branković (season 1)
 * Ryan OL as Genovese Nobleman (season 1)
 * Roger Crowley, historian (season 1)
 * Lars Brownworth, historian (season 1)
 * Jason Goodwin, historian (season 1)
 * Marios Philippides, historian (season 1)
 * Michael Talbot, historian (season 1)
 * Emrah Safa Gürkan, historian (season 1)
 * Andrei Pogăciaș, historian (season 2)
 * Mihai-Florin Hasan, historian (season 2)
 * Celâl Şengör, geologist
 * James Waterson, author of Dracula's Wars (season 2)

Critical response
Generally, the reception is positive. Rise of Empires: Ottoman delivers, with a similarly novel approach, a chronicle of historical events. Daily History concludes that "the series uses correct timeline and description of the attack on Constantinople is incredibly accurate from the Ottoman perspective."