# His life in the palace (1889-1909)  
Although the information about his arrival at the palace varies, we can be sure that it took place in 1889. ${ }^{20}$ Nadir Agha mentions his puzzlement when he encountered the Sultan Abdülhamid, who spoke to him in Arabic, paying the most attention to him, among the six eunuchs. On the order of the Sultan, he and the other eunuchs received training in comportment and religion, and earned 500 kurus (piastres) ${ }^{21}$ for their service. However, Nadir Agha notes that they did not receive higher education or qualifications, which were considered dangerous. However, both from different sources and from his own narrative, we can conclude that he was very bright. He gained the appreciation of the Sultan for having found a piece of information on the illness of the Sultan's son from an encyclopaedia. Sultan Abdülhamid's daughter, in her memoir, also writes about Nadir Agha's skills. For instance, he was the only one who was able to drive a car, which had come from Paris for the Sultan. Nadir Agha also used  
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[^0]:    19 http://ethiopedia.blogspot.com.tr/2008/07/ethiopian-hair-styles.html
20 In his memoir, Nadir Agha, as was mentioned, states that he came to the palace immediately after the killing of a young Sudanese eunuch by an elder one, in 1888. Right after, he mentions that his initial days in the palace coincided with the visit of German Emperor Wilhelm II, in 1889. However, in his interview and in the Memoirs of Sultan Abdülhamid's daughter, the year is given as 1885. Nevertheless, I consider the date to be 1889 since the document from the archives states the year as 1889 (Junne, 2016; Toledano, 1984).
21 The exchange value of 100 piastres in 1889 was equal to 110.25 pounds sterling. See Le Moniteur Oriental, (Constantinople), 5 Janvier 1889.  
the motorized pedal boat in the pond in the garden of Yıldız Palace (Yılmaz, 2002, p. 98). Archival documents also list medals that he received during his service, even one given by the Shah of Iran. ${ }^{22}$