Alienation (plot)

In 1875, with the Ottoman-Russian war looming, the Tanzimat Edict (Ottoman Reform) had not been proclaimed long ago. In the country Ottomanists, Turkish Nationalists, Islamists and Westernizers yearned for the glory days of the past. While the palace sought solutions to the approaching dangers, the palace astrologer, Mister Balkan, discovered manuscripts related to the pagan faith in an old Byzantine monestry. With the Sultan's permission, he began conducting experiments in the palace.

(I am sorry if my English translation doesn't make sense in some parts.)