THE story of an organ builder from Warrington who took one of his instruments as a present from Queen Elizabeth I to the Sultan of Turkey, is published in a new book.
“The Sultan’s Organ” is the personal diary of organ builder Thomas Dallam, from Dallam, who in 1599 took the self-playing organ to Constantinople (now Istanbul).
Best-selling travel author John Mole came across the diary in its original Elizabethan English. He was enthralled with the tale and so translated it to modern English, giving the feeling that it is being told today.
The organ was 16-feet high and included a talking clock with moving figures. It was run by clockwork and bellows and could play by itself for six hours. The Sultan was so impressed that he offered Dallam a permanent job and granted England trading concessions.
The book tells of Dallam’s six months journey to Constantinople on an armed merchant ship, calling at Algiers and several Greek islands.
It is published by Fortune Books and is available from selected bookshops, in print and Kindle from Amazon and from ePub stores. Print price is £7.99 and eBook: £2.00.
Organ builder's amazing journey
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