180-Year Historical Solidarity Between Ireland and the Ottoman Empire Becomes a Documentary

The aid provided by Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid to the people of Ireland during the Great Famine in 1847 and the nearly 180-year historical solidarity between the two countries are being brought to the screen with the documentary "An Gorta Mor: The Star and the Crescent".

Subject and Scope of the Documentary

The traces of the aid sent by Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid to the Irish people in 1847, during the Great Famine that affected Ireland between 1845 and 1851, are being pursued.

How the solidarity between the two countries has been remembered for generations and the ties extending from the past to the present form the main axis of the documentary.

Production Team and Partners

Hayriye Savaşçıoğlu undertakes the direction and production of the documentary, while Ülkü Uzun carries out the production duties.

The project is brought to life with the co-production of The Sunny Times LLC and is prepared with a large international team.

Historical Process and Connections

The production examines a period extending from Ottoman aid and period thank-you letters to the historical memory in Drogheda up to the present day.

Additionally, the helping and solidarity hands extended from Ireland following the earthquakes in Turkey in 2023 are among the subjects covered.

The Great Famine and Memory

The Great Famine era, in which approximately 1 million people lost their lives and millions were forced to migrate, is kept fresh in memory.

Despite 180 years passing, how this historical solidarity is remembered in Ireland constitutes one of the most striking headings of the documentary.