Shahmaran has its roots in fantasy, featuring fantastical elements such as mythical creatures and prophecies. But the Netflix series is also steeped in Turkish culture and history and was filmed on location in Turkey to capture an authentic local feel.
This series might not be the first time you’ve seen the Shahmaran legend depicted in popular media, so I’ve collected some interesting tidbits for you, and even formed an admittedly tenuous connection between Shahmaran and classic Doctor Who.
Filming Locations
Both seasons of Shahmaran were filmed in Turkey. The show is set there and the production team ensured that authentic locations were used to help capture the feel of the narrative.
If a character lives in Adana then care was taken to film there, something that Turkish fans of the show would greatly appreciate. The credits of the series thank authorities in Adana and Mersin, cementing the fact that various Turkish locations were utilized in production.
IMDb lists some of the other locations used in he shoot as Dacta, in the district of Mugla.
The Team Behind Shahmaran
Shahmaran was produced by Tims&B, a Turkish production company that entered the entertainment world in January 2017, guided by Timur Savci and Burak Sagyasar. The ambitious duo were looking to develop exciting new ideas, and their approach saw them become hugely successful with an international reach.
The cast of Shahmaran is made up of Serenay Sarikaya, Burak Deniz, Mustafa Ugurlu, Mahir Gunsiray, Mert Ramazan Demir, and Hakan Karahan.
View this post on Instagram
Directors Umar Turagay and Bertan Basaran pitched in Season 1, and writing credits go to Pinar Bulut, but you may not know that the story behind the series has its own incredible history.
Is Shahmaran a real legend?
Many think that Shahmaran is based on a novel, but the magical aspects stem from a real-life legend that tells of a mythical half-woman, half-snake, well-known in Turkey and Iran.
The story, like all good legends, has been passed down through the generations and puts forward the notion that one day the Shahmaran, sometimes known as The Maran, will reveal herself to the world, and bring a new age of peace and affluence.
The myth is used as the central premise for the show and has more resonance with those who are already familiar with the story. Although there are many different variations in the story, it seems that most of the narratives end with betrayal and a broken promise that leads to the death of the Shahmaran.
Have we heard of Shahmaran in other media?
The legend of the half-human underground snakes has featured elsewhere, including an appearance in the collection of stories One Thousand and One Nights, often referred to as The Arabian Nights, working under the title “The Queen of the Serpents”.
Kurdish folklore also explores the story, with the snake being a symbol of strength and good fortune, that is still seen in artwork even today.
The reach of the story also led to the Dutch singer of Iranian descent, Sevdaliza, who would write and perform a track of music titled Shahmaran on her debut studio album ISON.
Perhaps reaching slightly, but fans of classic Doctor Who will remember two stories from the Peter Davison era that feature a mythical presence in a strange dream-like world that could possess people through a tattoo of a snake that could pass from person to person. Two stories featured the idea, “Kinda” and “Snakedance”, and both featured the physical representation of the demonic being as a giant snake. The show referred to them as The Mara, so perhaps the writer of those stories, Christopher Bailey, was influenced by the legend of The Shahmaran.
RELATED:
