World Bulletin / News Desk
The grandson of one of the last Ottoman sultans and caliph of the entire Muslim world, Abdulhamid Han II, has become the first member of the Ottoman royal family to visit the Balkans in a century.
Abdulhamid Kayıhan Osmanoğlu is visiting the Balkans to give a series of lectures at various venues. He is said to be experience both feelings of happiness and sorrow during his visit.
His lectures based around the life of his grandfather have drawn much interest in Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro.
On his arrival Osmanoğlu was quoted as saying ‘I am experiencing feelings of both happiness and sorrow in being the first prince from the Ottoman royal family to visit the Balkans in 100 years. To be in this place where my grandfather left great monuments, and more importantly a place that many volunteers made their home fills my heart with joy. I feel as if I’m at home.’
He celebrated the 171st year since his grandfather’s birth while giving lectures in Kosovo’s capital Pristine where he visited Sultan Murad’s grave. He later went on to the city of Prizren and then Montenegro where he spoke about Sultan Abdulhamid Han II.
He also expressed his sorrow over the Ottoman withdrawal from the region 102 years ago.
Güncelleme Tarihi: 30 Eylül 2013, 17:52
His grandfather left many lovley looking islamic monuments, but the Ottoman empire as we know wasn't about the spread of lovely monuments. The Ottoman Empire in the balkansspread an intollerant attitude to Christians, raping women upon knowledge of marrige, steeling children from Macedonian, Serbian and Croation families to give to Turkish families who could not have their own children, go home.