On her arrival to Turkey, Begum Sultan Jahan was ceremonially received by the Sultan’s minister, Raghib Bey, and driven to her hotel the Pera Palace at Istanbul. Modern Turkish women called on the Begum, shocking her slightly because of their liberal dress and western mores. She then had an audience with Sultan Mehmet Reshad at which the Turkish Emperor at the famous Dolma Bache Palace warmly received her. The Sultan then personally escorted the Begum to meet the Sultana, passing through labyrinthine corridors that were manned by eunuchs. There came a point where even the eunuchs were not allowed and were replaced by female guards. Eventually, they reached Sultana’s harem. The Sultana received the Begum with much affection.
Before Sultan Jahan left Turkey, she received the most unexpected and precious gift. Sultan Mehmet Reshad decided to decorate the Begum with Turkey’s highest award. The British government however did not give permission to Begum to receive this award. The Turkish emperor was incensed and decided to confer an even greater award to the Begum by giving her a gift of the Prophet’s hair. The holy relic became one of the proudest possessions and was kept in a special room by the Begum and by her successor, to be displayed once in a year, on the Prophet’s birthday.
After a week’s stay, Sultan Jahan left Turkey and stayed in Budapest for a few days before proceeding to Rome, Venice and Florence. While in Florence, Sultan Jahan received a telegram from Nasrullah informing her that the plague had struck Bhopal. Cutting short her visit, Sultan Jahan arrived back to Bombay on board SS Mantua on October 22nd , exactly after six months of embarking on her voyage to Europe.
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