First Glimpses from Kurulus: Orhan - New Historical Saga on the Rise

We're excited to share the very first stills from the upcoming Turkish historical series Kuruluş: Orhan, along with a brief introduction to what we can expect from this new chapter in the epic Ottoman tale.

First Stills and Behind-the-Scenes Moment

On 18 September 2025, the production released photos from their first reading rehearsal, captioned:

“We have completed our reading rehearsal as the Kuruluş Orhan family. Our preparations are continuing at full speed. Soon we will be in front of the audience with our breathtaking, memory-shattering new story, our new world and our more valuable players. May we all have the best in advance.” 

These images give us our first visual taste of the characters and atmosphere — the costumes, lighting, and expressions hint at the epic scale and dramatic tone we’ve come to expect from this franchise.

Filming officially began on 23 September 2025, and the first episode is expected to premiere sometime between early to mid-October.

What Is Kuruluş: Orhan?

Kuruluş: Orhan (literally, “Establishment: Orhan”) is an upcoming Turkish historical fiction series focusing on the life of Orhan, the second Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Some key details:

Genre & Theme: Historical, adventure, Islamic. 

Production: Produced by Mehmet Bozdağ.

Direction & Cinematography: Directed by Bülent İşbilen; cinematography by Ömer Faruk Karacan.

Setting: Shot in Riva, Istanbul, Turkey. 

Broadcast: Will air on the ATV network.

Cast & Characters Snapshot

Here are a few of the main characters and their roles:

Mert Yazıcıoğlu plays Şehzade Orhan, the eldest son of Osman Bey and Malhun Hatun. He later becomes the husband of Elçim Hatun (who passes) and then Nilüfer Hatun. He is father to Süleyman Bey and brother to Alaeddin Ali, Fatma Hatun, and Halime Hatun. 

Cihan Ünal portrays Osman Bey, the tribal leader of the Kayı tribe, husband to Bala Hatun and Malhun Hatun, and father to Orhan and his siblings.

Barış Falay plays Şahinşah Bey, husband to Didar Hatun, father to Yiğit Bey.

Sajal Aly is cast as Malhun Hatun, Osman’s second wife and mother of Orhan and Fatma Hatun.

Burak Sergen appears as Tekfur Saroz. 

Mahassine Merabet takes the role of Nilüfer Hatun, Orhan’s second wife and mother to Süleyman Bey.