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Engin Altan Duzyatan, Turkish Actor. Photo by Mehmet Sait.

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Engin Altan Duzyatan

Engin Altan is a renowned Turkish actor in film and television. He was born in Izmir Province, Turkey on 26 July 1979.

He started acting during his high school days and went on study theatre at the university.

After that, he moved to Istanbul, where his professional acting career kicked off. Engin plays the starring role in the Turkish drama: Dirilis Ertugrul’ (Resurrection Ertugrul).

The drama is about the legendary father of Osman the First, the founder of the Ottoman Empire.

He has received numerous awards for his achievements in film and TV. He has also starred in many TV shows. Here are the top 10 amazing facts about Engin Altan Duzyatan.

1. He began acting in his high school days

A view across the street, Karsiyaka, Izmir. Photo by Enderender.

He was born in Karsiyaka, Izmir Province in Turkey, where he attended most of his studies. At an early age, his passion for acting was evident. He began acting while he was still in high school.

His parents are Mevlan and Guslen Duzyatan. His great grandparents were Turkish immigrants from Yugoslavia and Albanian immigrants from Pristina.

2. He studied theatre

Entry pavilion — Dokuz Eylul University campus, Izmir, Turkey. Photo by Mr Metin Canbalaban.

Duzyatan joined Dokuz Eylul University to study theatre. The university is in Izmir, Turkey, and has about sixteen faculties.

Duzyatan is among the notable alumni, alongside other actors such as Oner Erkan, Bulent Inal, and actress Senay Gurler.

 Turkish journalist Ibrahim Karagul and chess payer Betul Cemre Yildiz also studied at the university.

Duzyatan also undertook a Master’s Programme at Bahcesehir University in Advanced Acting Techniques.

3. He made his screen debut in 2001

Upon graduating from Dokuz Eylul in Izmir, he moved to Istanbul, Turkey to begin his professional acting career. His first screen appearance was in the TV series ‘¸é³Ü³ó²õ²¹°ù’ in 2001.

In 2005, he featured on the films Beyza’nin Kadinlari and Kalbin Zamani. They were directed by Mustafa Altioklar, a famed Turkish film director and producer.

Duzyatan continued to take up acting roles in films, and in 2007, he was cast in the series Sevgili Dunurum. He played Doctor Serdar in the series Bir Bulut Olsam with Melisa Sozen in 2009.

4. He hosted the Canli Para game show in 2010

The game show is a Turkish version of the British game show formerly called The Million Pound Drop Live. It has international versions.

The show gets contestants to compete for a money prize by answering multiple-choice questions. Canli Para ran from 2010 to 2011 on Show TV, with Duzyatan as its host.

5. He rose to stardom for his role in Dirilis: Ertugrul                                                 

The series ran from 2014 to 2019. It is a Turkish historical drama produced by Mehmet Bozdag, founder of the production company Bozdag Film. The series is based on Ertugrul’s life.

Ertugrul was the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. It is set in the 13^th century. Duzyatan plays Ertugrul Bey in his lead role.

To get ready for his role, he studied 13^th-century books including the Book of Dede Korkut, the most famous among the epic stories of the Oghuz Turks.

Duzyatan praised Erugrul as a real hero, with strength and purpose. He expressed that his portrayal offered a Turkish equivalent of Batman and Spiderman, American superheroes in film.

The series was dubbed Turkish Game of Thrones.

6. Two statues of Ertugrul, inspired by Duzyatan’s role were placed in Pakistan

The series Dirilis: Ertugrul, gained popularity in Turkey and other countries such as Pakistan and Azerbaijan.

In 2020, Duzyatan visited Pakistan upon invitation by a private business company: Make-A-Wish foundation.

He was well-received, and the Pakistani army had to shield him from a possible stampede of fans.

In the same year, two statues of Ertugrul on horseback were erected in Lahore, the capital of the Pakistani province Punjab.

They were placed by a private housing society. The statues were inspired by Duzyatan’s portrayal of Ertugrul in the series.

A bust of the character was also placed in Ordu, Turkey in 2020. It was however removed after a resemblance with Duzyatan was noted.

7. Duzyatan was named one of the world’s most influential Muslims in 2020

Hagia Sophia in the evening light, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo by Rabe!.

The Muslim 500, a yearly publication, ranked Duzyatan as one of the world’s most influential Muslims in 2020.

The Muslim 500 is compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan.

Nominations are usually based on the influence that particular Muslims have had in, and outside the Muslim community, and the benefit that the Muslim community has derived from it.

In 2020, Duzyatan was in support of the decision to reconvert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque by the Turkish government. It is a grand mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

8. He has received many awards for his film and TV roles

Engin Altan Duzyatan, second from the left, interacting. Photo by Mehmet Sait.

Engin Duzyatan won the Magazinci Awards for Male TV Series Actor of the Year in 2016. He also got two nominations for Best Actor and Best Performance by an Actor in the Golden Butterfly Awards.

Other awards include the Golden Palm Awards for Supporting TV Series Actor of the Year, and Male TV Series Actor of the Year.

He won the Quality of Magazine Award in the category for Actor Award. In 2019, Duzyatan received the Distinctive International Arab Festival Award (DIAFA) for Best International Actor.

9. He starred in Barbaros: Sword of the Mediterranean

Oruc Reis captures a galley. Photo by Charles Farine.

Barbaros: Sword of the Mediterranean is a Turkish historical drama released in 2021. Duzyatan stars in the lead role, alongside Ulas Tuna Astepe.

The series portrays the lives of brothers Oruc Reis and Hizir Reis, consecutive admirals of the Ottoman Empire navy in the 15^th century.

Duzyatan plays the role of Oruc Reis Barbarrosa. Oruc established Ottoman presence in North Africa, lasting for 4 centuries.

10. He is married to Neslisah Alkoclar

Neslisah is the granddaughter of a former Turkish football player, Selim Soydan, and prominent Turkish actress, Hulya Kocyigit. Duzyatan and Neslisah got married on 28 August 2014.

They have two children. The son, Emir Aras was born in 2016. The daughter, Alara was born in 2018.