'Last Ottoman' dies in Istanbul

[Posteritatis]

Source: BBC News

Ertugrul Osman - the would-be sultan known in Turkey as the "last Ottoman" - has died in Istanbul at the age of 97.

Osman would have been sultan of the Ottoman Empire had Turkey's modern republic not been created in the 1920s.

As the last surviving grandson of Sultan Abdul-Hamid II, he would have been known as his Imperial Highness Prince Shehzade Ertugrul Osman Effendi.

Born in Istanbul in 1912, Osman spent most of his years living modestly in New York.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8273396.stm

[Selatius]

1. World War One's legacy still affects us to this day.

The fate of a great many nations changed because of that war, including the United States.

[Confusious]

5. And the republicians then

Were as stupid as they are now.

[damntexdem]

2. Now what will we rest our feet on?

;-)

[Critters2]

3. !

:rofl:


Nicely done!

[BumRushDaShow]

4. DUzy!

:rofl:

[No Elephants]

9. Good one.

[Sultana]

22. LOL x a million

:rofl: :applause: :thumbsup:

[neuvocat]

6. Instanbul?

Not Constantinoble?

[proteus_lives]

7. People like it better that way.

[No Elephants]

8. I believe that referred to the place of his death, not the place of his birth.

Good one, though!

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night

Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul (Istanbul)
Istanbul (Istanbul)

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul

[Kolesar]

10. Cue the accordians

[ellie]

13. It's nobody's business but the Turk's

[JerseygirlCT]

21. LOL

And now I'm going to have that song repeating in my head...

[gauguin57]

25. ... the They Might Be Giants version (not the earlier versions played by Dr. Demento!)

Love that song.

[Odin2005]

11. IIRC there is still a Hapsburg around.

Otto von Hapsburg, grandson of the last emperor of Austria-Hungary. He's in his 90s IIRC.

[Phoonzang]

12. There's lots of Hapsburgs around, including Otto's children, but

he's the last alive Hapsburg that was actually going to sit on the throne. Well...if the Empire had stayed intact.

[Orrin_73]

19. Ertugrul Osman and Otto von Habsburg met each other

in 2001 in Kusadasi/Turkey

http://webarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/2001/08/26/displayimage/0,,6037,00.jpg
(left Otto von Habsburg and Ertugrul Osmanoglu right)

[Odin2005]

24. Interesting, thanks!

[BuddhaGirl]

14. Ironic that his mother was Armenian

he was responsible for the deaths of many Armenians - ahead of the 1915 Genocide.

[xxqqqzme]

15. I don't think Ertugrul Osman

was responsible. He was 12, going to school in Vienna, when the family was exiled.

[Taverner]

16. He wasn't - maybe his dad, but not him

He was 12 at the time and at a boarding school

[Posteritatis]

17. Responsible as a child abroad? (nt)

[southfloridaboy]

20. NOT responsible for Armenian genocide

Please, let's keep our facts straight --- how can somebody be responsible for the deaths of many Armenians "ahead of the 1915 genocide?" What historical time line are you choosing to use? He was not even old enough to be a teenager when these events happened.

[underpants]

18. The Ottoman Empire is only mentioned in passing in history class

They ruled over a vast expanse of the Earth's surface but we can't reminded that all powerful leaders look rather pale in comparison to the rest of the world population now can we?

I am not saying this as praise for the Ottoman's because I really don't know much about them other than maps showing what they used to reign over.

[unkachuck]

23. "...spent most of his years living modestly in New York. "

....I guess the old Sultan gig ain't what it used to be....I wonder what kind of healthcare he had (in addition to Medicare?) to make it to 97?

....I need some of that....