What is Shahmaran about? Turkish Netflix series explained

What is Shahmaran? The new Turkish fantasy series has entered the top 10 chart on Netflix, but what is it about? We’re here to explain.

While Netflix has had huge hits with the likes of Stranger Things, Wednesday, and Bridgerton, its foreign-language shows and movies are among the very best the streaming platform has to offer.

This includes, but isn’t limited to: Money Heist, All Of Us Are Dead, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Squid Game, the latter of which ranks as Netflix’s most-watched show ever.

So, if you’ve clocked Shahmaran on your Netflix account, you may be wondering: what’s it about, and is it worth diving in?

What is Shahmaran about?

The official synopsis for the show reads: “Going to Adana as a lecturer, Şahsu is determined to confront her grandfather, who left her mother behind years ago. On this journey, she finds herself in the middle of an unusual and mysterious community called Mar, descended from Shahmaran.

“Believing in the legend of Shahmaran, one of the greatest symbols of love and wisdom, the Mar race awaits the completion of the historical prophecy with the arrival of Şahsu. Nothing will be the same again when Şahsu’s path crosses with Maran’s.”

Check out the trailer for the show below:

The show’s title comes from Middle Eastern folklore, specifically in Turkey. Shahmaran is a half-woman, half-snake mythical creature who lives in the land of the snakes underground.

As per Kanaga, the basic premise of the legend revolves around a young man who meets Shahmaran while trying to steal some honey. He’s left alone in a well, where he finds a passage to the land of the snakes. They fall in love, but he’s forced to betray her.

Is Shahmaran worth watching?

While the show has entered the Netflix top 10 chart, it’s received some positive reviews and reactions from fans and critics alike.

Charles Hartford of But Why Tho wrote: “Ultimately Shahmaran manages to bring some strong character and good execution to a tale that is plagued by its overly long runtime. If future seasons can improve the pacing struggles, what comes next for the series could be far greater than what this introductory chapter manages to bring.”

Joel Keller of Decider wrote: “We just hope that things develop a bit faster than what we saw in the first episode, which was not so much confusing as it was just plain mysterious, and not in a good way.”

On social media, one viewer wrote: “I just binge-watched #Shahmaran The storyline is fantastic!!! I hate snakes but I couldn’t stop watching it. Renew for Season 2 pls.”

“This is genuinely addictive. I told myself I’d watch one episode and I’m on episode three,” another wrote. “Shahmaran on Netflix was good as f*ck! I’m mad at how the season ended though… definitely needs a Season 2,” a third tweeted.

Shahmaran is available to stream on Netflix now.