Portrait of a Turkish Family - Irfan Orga

"A Portrait of a Turkish Family" is an autobiographical work that tells the story of one Ottoman family from the turn of the twentieth century through the First World War and the establishment of Turkey as a republic.

Irfan Orga was the eldest of three children; his mother was born into the harem - as were most women of such standing - and married at the age of thirteen. When the book opens, Irfan and his parents and younger ...
...servants. Orga describes an often idyllic childhood with warmth and humour, depicting the childlike vigour of his mother, the haughtiness of his grandmother and the kindness of the servants. One memorable episode describes a trip to the hamam (Turkish baths) with his mother and grandmother that is like a trip to the beach with the servants instructed to prepare hampers of food for the day. Orga writes

"She always engaged private ... more

"A Portrait of a Turkish Family" is an autobiographical work that tells the story of one Ottoman family from the turn of the twentieth century through the First World War and the establishment of Turkey as a republic.

Irfan Orga was the eldest of three children; his mother was born into the harem - as were most women of such standing - and married at the age of thirteen. When the book opens, Irfan and his parents and younger brother live with his paternal grandparents and a host of servants. Orga describes an often idyllic childhood with warmth and humour, depicting the childlike vigour of his mother, the haughtiness of his grandmother and the kindness of the servants. One memorable episode describes a trip to the hamam (Turkish baths) with his mother and grandmother that is like a trip to the beach with the servants instructed to prepare hampers of food for the day. Orga writes

"She always engaged private room for herself at the hamam; a room for disrobing and another for washing herself, feeling that decidedly she could not be expected to mix entirely with the common herd. Sociability could only go so far."

When war breaks out in Europe the men of the family start making preparations because they know it will not be long before Turkey is involved. While the men understand the implications of this, the women of the family have no idea what lies in store for them.

While Irfan Orga's story is autobiographical it is highly educational too both in terms of history and Turkish and Muslim culture more generally. He describes the foods cooked first by the servants and later by his mother, the rite of passage under Islam that is his childhood circumcision and the traditions of visiting the hamam, a place to be seen not just to bathe. The degree of detail is staggering given that Orga was very young when so many of the key events took place. He also explains how the old order gradually gave way to the republic without losing his way in the story but still giving a decent amount of background.

As a work that documents social history, this book is invaluable and fascinating. While it tells the story of a whole family, it is really the story of his mother and of women more generally. It depicts the huge transition experienced by women in many countries because of the circumstances of the First World War. For Irfan's young mother the change is even more dramatic because she sees the loss of an entire way of life, not simply becoming a working woman. Orga emphasises the strength of women and their ability to adapt to change and no character demonstrates this more than his grandmother, the sometimes cruel and selfish matriarch who manages to surprise at every turn.

Initially Orga starts well; his attention to detail helps to paint vivid pictures and a few key moments keep the story running. However, in the final chapters it feels as if he hasn't been quite to selective in choosing which events have the most impact or best tell the story. It seemed like a classic case of trying to fit it all in with only a small space left at the end. This was a minor niggle however; my real gripe was that I could have enjoyed more of the writing that came earlier and I was disappointed that the back cover was drawing closer.

I found "Portrait of a Turkish Family" utterly compelling, reading it from cover to cover in just a couple of days. It is told in pure story form, in the first person but this in no way diminishes its value as a historical source. It is, in fact, an excellent book for anyone wishing to learn about the collapse of the Ottomans and the founding of the Turkish Republic. But where it really shines is as a charming yet poignant story of a family torn apart by war, beautifully told with grace and dignity.

In 2006 when I started my three month trip around the Black Sea, I found myself in a bookshop in Istanbul. My partner had confessed to me during the flight that he had left the Lonely Planet guidebook for Turkey beside the bed so we had gone to buy a new one. The sales assistant pointed out a display in the store and recommended a book which she said had just come back into print and that was considered a classic in Turkey. I asked her to write down the author's name and the title and said that I had no room to carry it but that I would be back in Istanbul in three months time and would buy it then.

The piece of paper, of course, disappeared into the depths of my rucksack not to be seen again until we were back in England. A quick visit to Amazon secured a copy though it remained unopened for months until it recently found its way to the top of my reading tower (higher than a simple "pile"). I only wish I had opened it sooner...

316 pages
Priced at £8.57 new, Amazon (correct Feb 2008) 

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