These are the hairs of the traitor Kulkahya, a man who once boasted that before losing his head, there would be a mountain of heads as high as Hagia Sophia. His arrogance and ambition brought him to a tragic end, as we shall see.
Flight from Constantinople
After the fall of his allies, Kulkahya went to his house, where he gathered gold and jewels. Accompanied by sixty horsemen, he planned to escape to the mountains of Albania, regions so remote that they had never been fully conquered by the Turks Walking Tours Ephesus.
However, he soon realized that pursuers were close behind, and it would be impossible to flee with such a large retinue. To lighten his group and show gratitude, he distributed much of his gold among his followers, keeping only one servant and traveling with four heavily laden horses carrying the remaining wealth.
Burying the Treasure
Even this proved to be too cumbersome, so along the way, he buried a treasure valued at 600,000 dollars. Later, the treasure was discovered by local shepherds, who argued over how to divide it. Eventually, the local judge seized the treasure and sent it to the Grand Signior’s treasury.
Kulkahya’s Last Stand
Kulkahya and his single loyal page reached a town, where he needed bread. Forced to pay with gold, the locals suspected him of being one of the rebels recently escaped from Constantinople. News quickly reached the town’s captain, who gathered men to arrest Kulkahya.
Refusing to be captured alive, Kulkahya fought bravely against the soldiers, resisting until he was killed by a musket shot. His head was severed from his body, marking the end of his rebellion and the collapse of his dreams.
Legacy of Greed and Pride
Kulkahya’s story is a cautionary tale of greed, pride, and ambition. Despite amassing wealth and planning escape, his overconfidence and the loyalty of others to the Sultan led to his violent death. The treasure he tried to save ultimately went to the Grand Signior, showing that fate favors neither traitors nor the greedy.