Emir Abdülmecid Effendi II is described as one of the most important painters of the late Ottoman era. He became the 37th head of the Ottoman House and heir to the throne after his cousin Mehmet Vahid al-Din left Istanbul as a refugee to Italy in November 1922. Abdülmecid Effendi II was elected as caliph by The Turkish Grand National Assembly until March 3, 1924, when the law that officially ended the Ottoman Caliphate was adopted after two years in the republic.

Abd al-Majid II grew up in Istanbul and was educated by a handful of Turkish and French teachers. This last Ottoman caliph, who also served as president of the Ottoman Artists' Association, embodied the synthesis of European and Islamic cultures.

In his report, published by the British "Middle East Eye" website, the writer Yusuf Salman Enanc says that the Ottoman Prince Abdul Majid was "the ideal Turkish Renaissance man", as he mastered the piano and the cello instrument, as he was a painter. A gifted master who paints both nude scenes in the courtyards of the harem and the doors of mosques, noting that most importantly, Abd al-Majid was the last officially recognized Islamic caliph, a title that will forever be engraved in the annals of history.

Sultan on the sidelines

Enanc explained that in this context, the Sakip Sapanca Museum in Istanbul, overlooking the Bosphorus, will host an exhibition aimed at shedding light on the life and work of this Ottoman prince. Effendi".

An oil painting by Abd al-Majid Effendi showing a woman holding a book by the German poet Goethe (social networking sites)

The exhibition includes 60 paintings of the prince and 300 historical documents related to his life, as the collection is presented to the public for the first time since the death of the prince in Paris in 1944, stressing that the importance of the artistic merit of each work is no less than the importance of what these works prove about the synthesis of European and Islamic cultures that enable the Ottomans to By the late 19th century, Abd al-Majid was, in many ways, the embodiment of that trend, usually wearing French royal costumes that hinted at his Ottoman roots, behaving comfortably among the European aristocracy, and was the heir to the last Islamic caliphate.

early effects

The writer shows that Abdul Majid was born in Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian side of Istanbul in 1868, in a somewhat golden cage, where Sultan Abdul Hamid II, who took power in 1876, was suspicious of court intrigues and potential challenges on the part of rival princes, He was careful not to allow his relatives to act freely, and these restrictions had unintended consequences for Abd al-Majid's intellectual development, or in other words, the young prince was allowed to indulge and satisfy all his intellectual and creative curiosity, investing his language skills, Western art, and his own passion.

The writer notes that Abdul Hamid opened a school inside Yildiz Palace in Istanbul, where other Ottoman princes and nobles could attend.

There, Abd al-Majid II was apprenticed to Turkish and French teachers who had a notable influence on his future tastes and methods.

Painting of Beethoven in the Sanctuary by Abd al-Majid Effendi (Getty Images)

According to the writer, given the nature of the prince’s life, the idea of ​​him assuming the position of caliph one day was almost impossible, as he was not interested in politics, but was immersed in his love of arts and music, as well as interested in his charitable work, which makes contributions to various causes such as the Red Crescent and the Armenian Women’s Association.

"From the second half of the 19th century, the Ottoman palace was influenced by Western art, including painting. Abdülmecid II's father, Sultan Abdülaziz, was also a painter and established the first painting school in Turkey, and sent students to receive their technical education in Europe."

Writer Enanc continues that even after Sultan Abdülhamid was overthrown in 1908, Abdülmecid held on to the arts, using the freedom he enjoyed to indulge more in charitable activities, sponsoring museums and organizing meetings of poets and painters.

Caliph of the Muslims

The writer continues, noting that Abdul Majid’s rise to the caliphate came as a result of the demise of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. In the wake of the defeat of the Ottoman Empire and the threat of imperialist powers to divide the traditional Turkish lands in Anatolia and the Balkans, the prince pledged to support Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his new government in Ankara, where republican fervor overthrew In the Ottoman Sultanate and exile of Abd al-Majid's cousin, Sultan Muhammad Wahid al-Din (Muhammad VI), thereafter, Abd al-Majid was elected caliph as the last recognized political leader of Sunni Muslims around the world.

Despite being a caliph in name only as of November 1922, Abd al-Majid flaunted the power of his position, roaming the streets of Istanbul on his white horse in a display of Ottoman historical prestige, giving lavish receptions in the manner of the ancient Ottomans, and personally attending Friday prayer ceremonies in a mosque Hagia Sophia, demonstrating his leadership to the world's Muslims, according to the author.

Caliph Abdul Majeed walking with an entourage of soldiers (communication sites)

The writer notes that these actions - whether intentional or not - aroused the ire of the anti-caliphate movement. The republican government of Ankara did not accept the idea of ​​the Caliph’s emergence everywhere, nor did it accept his revival of the crowds and act like the sultan, which eventually led them to abolish Abdul Majid’s position and exile him with The rest of the royal house, and in March 1924, the royal family was notified to step down within 3 days, and then Abdel Meguid headed to Europe.

Officially informing Caliph Abdul Majeed II of his abdication (communication sites)

According to the writer, Abdel Meguid overcame culture shock through his fluency in French and speaking it like native speakers, his 8-year study of German, his understanding of English, in addition to his knowledge of both Arabic and Farsi.

ottoman european

The writer continues explaining the history of Abdul Majid after the caliphate, as he moved with his family initially to the town of Triptit in Switzerland, then to the French city of Nice and stayed there until 1939 before moving to Paris, noting that despite his upbringing in Istanbul, the European orientation was His imprint in his artistic and intellectual development, Nazan Olser, curator of the Sakip Sabanci Gallery, said that the prince "merged the West and the East, lived his life according to the spirit of the times, adhered to traditions and religion, but at the same time remained open to the West."

The writer shows that Abdul Majeed uniquely enjoyed being an artist and ruler of a state for a brief period, as his journey reflects the extent to which his country was affected by modernity and Westernization, a transformation that will eventually prove to be overwhelming for the Ottoman Empire. Whether the elites have moved away from their culture, a question that remains to this day.

A drawing of the removal of the last Islamic caliph by the Grand National Assembly of Ankara (Shutterstock)

However, Olser says - according to the writer - that the prince was an Islamic thinker, painter and calligrapher at the same time, and he was loyal to his religion and traditions, but he was also a Western musician, and a supporter of theaters, adding that this contrast is more clearly manifested in his painting of naked women, which he presented during the life of Quiet family, unlike the Western artists' fantasy.

Facing the shock of conservative society with works that show nudity, Olser explains that these works were by no means the main focus of Abd al-Majid's art, stressing that such arguments overshadow the rest of the prince's work.

The writer goes on to say that in exile, Abd al-Majid embarked on photography and taking pictures from all over the continent while maintaining his relationships with Muslim communities, especially with those living in the Indian subcontinent. In the early years of his exile, he formed relationships with Indian Muslims who vehemently opposed Abolition of the Caliphate, including the Aga Khan President of the All India Muslim League.

The writer reviews the conclusion of Abdul Majeed, as his health began to deteriorate after the outbreak of World War II, forcing him to move to Paris, and he died in 1944, as the republican government refused the request to bury the prince in Istanbul, and after 10 days of his stay in the morgue of the Grand Mosque of Paris, another was buried Caliph of Islam in Medina, the city in which this position was established 1,300 years before the death of Abd al-Majid.