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1800s―Intrigue in the Persian royal court of the Qajars
In the Palace of Flowers
What you need to know before your trail
In The Palace of Flowers is an atmospheric historical novel about Jamila, an Abyssinian slave who stands at the funeral of a Persian nobleman, watching the rites with empty eyes. In that very moment, she realises that her life will never be acknowledged or mourned with the same significance. The fear of being forgotten, of being irrelevant, sets her and Abimelech, a fellow Abyssinian slave and a eunuch, on a path to find meaning, navigating the dangerous and deadly politics of the royal court, both in the government and the harem, before leading her to the radicals that lie beyond its walls. Love, friendship and the bitter politics within the harem, the court and the Shah’s sons and advisors will set the fate of these two slaves.
Locations
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Enter the world of the Persian Royal Court
If you have ever wanted to visit an Iranian palace, the harem, the palace corridors filled with intrigue and the bazars. The setting is luscious yet dark, jewelled but with shadows behind the jewelled walls.
Jamīla and Abimelech are two Abyssinian slaves serving in the royal courts of the Qajars in 19th century Iran.
This is the court of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar. He has eighty wives and countless concubines all vying for attention and influence from the harem. The palace is a pit of intrigue – there’s an army of diplomats with advisors, princes and their servants. There is a cast of thousands and if you imagine the court of Henry VIII – and times that by 200 000 then you have the court of Iran.
A tapestry of royal intrigue.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: In the Palace of Flowers
Destination/location: Iran Author/Guide: Victoria Princewill Departure Time: 1890s
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