The Mehter, known as the oldest and mother of all military bands in the world, will play for the first time in Amsterdam. The Mehter came special to Holland for the Amsterdam Kirkpinar (European Championship of Oilwrestling) on Sunday the 4th of June 2000.

On the Saturday before the Kirkpinar The Ankara Mehter gave a public concert in front of the Royal Palace on the Amsterdam Damsquare. In 2001 it was the most famous of all Mehters, the Istanbul Askeri Mehter that playes the Er Meydan (manfield) of the Amsterdam Kirkpinar.

Europe heard the sounds of the Mehter for the first time when the Ottomans besieged Vienna. After the second Turkish siege of the Austrian capital in 1683 the Polish and Austrian troops drove the Turks back and seized complete sets of musical instruments of the Mehter. Those were later used in the newly established 'janissary bands' of many European courts. Thus the practice of military music in Europe was taken over from the Turks. However, what these bands performed was at most a clumsy, childish, imitation of the real Mehter. And when Mozart composed his ´Turkisch March´it was a new type of march music, unknown in Turkey.

The history of the Mehter can be traced back to the 8th century. It extends to the famous Orkun Inscriptions, the oldest known written source of Turkish history.

The musical instruments "Kübürge" and "Tug" are mentioned in those inscriptions. In the oldest Turkish dictionary, "Divan-i Lügat-üt Türk", which was written in the 11th century, the musical team who played before the sovereign was called "Tug".

The musical instruments which were in the "Tug" team during the time of the old Turkish states are the prototypes of the Ottoman Mehter.

These instruments are Big Drum (Küvrük-Kös), The Drum (Tomruk-Davul), Cymbal (Ceng-Zil) etc. The historical sources indicate that the Turkish horn was famous with the name "Nay-ý Turki" in the 12th century and was played in the battles.

The drum and standard or flag, which are the symbols of the Turkish emperors, have continued to be the symbols of sovereignty in the Turkish states after Islam.

The name "Tug" was changed to "Tabilhane" and "Nevbet" during the time of Sejucks, to "Mehter" in Ottomans. Osman Ghazi, who the founder of the Ottoman Empire, was given tug, flag, horn, cymbal and drum, which were the symbols of sovereignty, by the Mesud II, Anatolian Seljuk Emperor. This incident has been accepted as the official establishment of Mehter.

The Ottoman empire inherited the idea of using military bands consisting of shawms, trump etc, and percussion from Central and West Asian medieval empires, where these units used to symbolize the independence of the rulers to whom they were attached.

As an organization, the Mehter has the quality of a state establishment and attached to the Emperor with a high ranked official called "Emir-i Alem". The music of Mehter has animated the army and frightened the enemy with the lively and energetic tunes.

In the Ottoman empire, there were many Mehters, the size of which depended on the position of the authorities to whom they belonged. The Mehter of the Sultan was the biggest, that of the Grand Vizier somewhat smaller, and that of a common governor simply small. They used to play their own type of traditional art music, which was performed during military expeditions and battles, as well as on the occasion of formal events in the palace.

During nearly five hundred years of their existence (1362-1826) the janissaries (from Turkish yeni çeri = new army) Mehter were the elite musicians of the Ottoman empire. The janissaries did not consider themselves to be just soldiers, but they were also dervishes belonging to the Bektasi order.

After the second Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683, when the victorious Polish and Austrian troops drove the Turks back, complete sets of musical instruments of the Mehter were seized and later used in the newly established 'janissary bands' of many European courts. Thus the practice of military music in Europe was taken over from the Turks. However, what these occidental janissary bands performed was but a pale shadow of Ottoman Mehter music, at most a clumsy, childish, imitation of it. Normally they played a new type of march music at that time totally unknown in Turkey.

During the eighteenth century the janissaries began to act like a state within the state. Efforts to modernize the state and society started during the 19th century. Initially reforms targeted limited institutions. In 1826 Mahmut II abolished the Janissary Corps. One of the first things to go too was the traditional marching band of the Mehter Takimi, the first of its kind in Europe. During futile revolts against this decision, some 15 000 janissaries were killed and 20 000 exiled afterwards. Mahmut II did not consider the traditional music of the Mehter as important and adopted in its place a European-style military brass band, like in the other European countries.

With the eclipse of the janissaries their orally transmitted music disappeared almost totally with the exception of some which had already been noted down.

After the annihilation a modern Turkish army was created after the example of European armies. The organization of military bands performing occidental military marches was given to composers like Giuseppe Donizetti and Calli so Guatelli. Later Turkish composers tried to combine the occidental type of military march with Turkish modality, the so-called makam principle. Pleasant though they may have been, their light, popular tunes were of a far lower quality than the original Ottoman Mehter music.

The Mehter was re-established for the first time in 1914 by sultan Mehmet V Resad (1844-1918) to represent the old janissary Band and the army. At that time, in addition to the musicians, who performed the Mehter music, a tug and a historical team were added. In this way, a historical identity was gained to the Mehter.

This Mehter lasted during the 1st world war and the war of independence of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, later called Atatürk. After the last Ottoman sultan went in exile, Atatürk abolished the Mehter again in 1935. After his death the Mehter was re-established again in 1952 by Nuri Yamut.

Nowadays the repertoire of the Mehter consists of preserved ceremonial customs and tunes heard and adopted by the janissaries during their campaigns in Arabia, North Africa and the Balkans.

All the here linked songs are in real audio. Mp3-file of Genç Osman, Yinede Sahlaniyor, Estergon Kal'asi and Ceddin Dede you´ll find in the right column.

A concert of the Mehter starts with the percussion announcing the arrival of the chief in a meter called evsat, 26/4 (5 + 4 + 4 + 5 + 4 -+ -4) and the davet, the greeting of the chief of the Mehter followed by his command to play.

Mehter in Mp3

During the Amsterdam Kirkpinar 2000 the ´mother´ of all millitairy bands, the original Mehter, will play for the first time in Amsterdam. To give you an idea of this traditional band there are real audio-files in the left column or you can download the following mp3´s:

Genç Osman Mp3
The text (by Kayikçi Kul Mustafa) deals with the young Turkish hero Osman, who fought in Bagdad. The melody is from Aydin, near the Aegean coast of Western Anatolia, in makam Nisabur and in usul Sofyan. The usul, a metrical-rhythmic cycle of heavy and light beats, in this case 4/4.

Yinede Sahlaniyor Mp3
Söz: Kemal Altinkaya

Estergom Kalesi Mp3
The fortress of Estergom is based on a folk song believed to be from Hungary. For a long time Estergom, not far to the east of Vienna, was the first Turkish city after leaving Austria. The song is in makam Hicaz and in usul Aksak.

Ceddin Deden Mp3
'Ceddin deden' (Your ancestor, your grandfather) in makam Hüseyni and in usul Sofyan. Composed by Kaptanzadi Ali Riza Bey (1881 - 1934). Text by Ismail Hakki Bey.

Members of the Mehter Band

Contacts the Amsterdam Kirkpinar by email:
kirkpinar@hotmail.com or Türkevi
Phone (The Netherlands +31) (Amsterdam 020) 684 57 12

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