Whatever happened to. . .

[robberbaron4u]

Seiffeddin Bey, one-time secretary to the Turkish legation at Washington, universally acknowledged as the "handsomest man in the world" of his day, and, by rumour, one of the "gayest". Beauty, the thing is fleeting. . .

[+ azdr0710]

good question, RB.....

 

even Google and upstart Bing fail to answer....just obscure references to late 19th-century tomes....

[ted]

Since he seems to have been the secretary to the Turkish legation in 1897 and he's not listed as one of the worlds oldest persons, I suspect he's dead

[robberbaron4u]

By all report a man who was without peer in his physical beauty, I daresay he will be bit "ripe" even for my taste. . .

[robberbaron4u]

Abtract from an old newspaper clipping found in a family album: "At a reception given by Minister Romeraiz of Mexico, Miss ******** walked through the mirror lined drawing room with Seiffeddin Bey, the young secretary of the Turkish legation, who has been called the handsomest man in the world. The host followed them with his eyes. and said "The handsomest man has found the most beautiful woman". In a letter to her worried father back "down South", the young lady noted that Bey had "no interest in women". And not so much as a "google" mention of the man, much less his image . . .

[Phil_musc]

Oh you guys all missed the bit about him in People Magazine's most recent "Sexiest Man in the World" issue. You know - the page they devote to "Sexy at any Age." His picture was in the extreme left hand corner on the recto page - it might be missing because it was messed up in the fold of the magazine. They had a special row - Sexy centurions or some such rubbish. :o

 

Seriously now, RB, where did you come up with this one?

[Phil_musc]

Of course I meant Sexy centenarians (not centurions). silly me.

[robberbaron4u]

By report, Bey was the "inspiration" for the character, Kemal Pamuk, in the Downton Abbey TV series, a Turkish diplomat who dies "flagrante delicto" in the house.

[Phil_musc]

Well maybe, but that character did a lot more for Lady Mary than he did for me.

[instudiocity]

Well maybe, but that character did a lot more for Lady Mary than he did for me.

But he's not too bad when not in that wig & costume...http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTQ2NTY3MzYyMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTE1MDk4OQ@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg

[+ friendofsheila]

Seiffeddin Bey: is that spelled correctly?

[robberbaron4u]

Yes, by report, that spelling of his name is correct. By rumour, he was a "favorite" of Felix Felixovich Iussupov, and, thereby, I assume he was assigned to the Turkish embassey at St Petersburg at some point. He was reassigned from the Washington legation for "scandalous behavior" with another young man, the scion of a well-known American industralist.