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Ottoman Military Band
With Osman Gazi in 1299 began the mehteran to play for ages in wars, shows and celebrations saying: "Blood is his hand, blood is his sword, bare is his breast, full of trance his heart. Passing with joy on the road to Allah"
brIn 1826 they were abolished, in 1911 they formed again a team, in 1914 they organized and took the name Mehterhane-i Hakani (Royal Mehter Band).
They witnessed World War I and the War of Independence.
Beethoven and many western musicians composed music inspired by them. And the Mehteran, also called Askeri Mýzýka Teþkilatý (Military Music Organization) played for ages and continues to do so with enthusiasm.
The Mehter Band did not play only at times of war to influence the enemies. The Mehter Band beat the nevbet each day wherever the Sultan was; if on expedition then in front of his otag, if not then at the appointed place at the palace after the afternoon prayer. Also, after the night prayer three times mehter was played and prayed for the Sultan; then again the nevbet was beaten to wake up the divan people for prayer. And at the same time, in Yedikule, Eyyub (today's Eyüp), Kasimpasa, Galata, Tophane, Besiktas, Anadoluhisari, Üsküdar and the Maiden's Tower mehter was played. The number of these mehters was around a thousand. At the fortresses outside the state centers at certain times the mehterhane again played. Besides, the grand viziers, amirals, viziers, beylerbeyi (governor generals) owned also mehter bands. Especially at times of expeditions the mehters did a great service and had a great impact on instilling the soldiers with ardour and unnerving the enemies.
The mehterhane of the Emperor consisted of 12 folds, i.e. of each there were 12 instruments. The others were 7 folded or 9 folded, depending on the place of the playing. If the Sultan went on expedition the mehter band was doubled. The kös were present only in the mehterhane of the Sultan, the grand vizier and the other viziers had none. When the Sultan went on expedition the Sultan?s mehterhane stood under the sancak of the Sultanate and played there. During the expedition the law was that first the mehterhane of the Sultan played, if it was absent then the one of the serdar (general) played, which was followed by the pashas with three tugs, i.e. the viziers, by the pashas with two tugs (beylerbeyi). At the battle when the enemy approached, the voice of the mehter was increased and at the same time the drums were beaten and they cried out loud ?Yekdir Allah Yek? (One is Allah One).
The main instruments are the beat and wind instruments; the beat instruments are drums, bells, nakkare, and kös, whereas the wind instruments are zurna, horn, kurrenay, mehter whistle, clarinet, and trumpet as well as mehter bells like the bell and the cevgan.
The tablhane (mehterhane) which is one of the symbols of the emperorship in all Islamic states has been passed to the Ottoman State by the Seljuk State. In 1299 The Selcuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat III had sent the sancak as a symbol for the beylik together with drums, etc.
From this date on, which at the same time was accepted as the independence of the Ottoman State, until the period of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror all sultans rose while the nevbet was beaten (played) in respect to the Seljuk emperor. Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror said: "It is unnecssaey to rise in respect to a sultan who has died two centuries ago." and thus abolished the tradition of rising while the mehter was playing.
The mehterhane which for centuries had exeburated the Ottoman soldiers and instilled fear into the enemies was abolished by Mahmud II on 15 June 1826 together with the Janissaries and the other palace corps. Because the Mehterhane was important a military musical organisation called Mýzýka-yý hümayun (Royal Band) was established as in Europe.
In 1911 Ahmed Muhtar Pasha and Celal Esat (Arseven) founded a new band in order to enliven the mehter. This band was organised in 1914 and took the name of mehterhane-i hakani (Imperial military band). The Mehterhane-i hakani has been united with the army of the World War I. The Mehterhane-i Hakani which served in the War of Independence was abolished after the establishing of the Republic. In 1952 Chief of the General Staff Nuri Yamut sees the Scottish bagpipe band and he orders to reestablish the mehter. Today many counties, provinces, municipalities and army have mehter bands. One of them is the "Istanbul Historical Music Society" which was founded by the Ministry of Culture in 1992.
Mehter Today
The mehterhane which for centuries had exeburated the Ottoman soldiers and instilled fear into the enemies was abolished by Mahmud II on 15 June 1826 together with the Janissaries and the other palace corps. Because the Mehterhane was important a military musical organisation called Mizika-yi hümayun (Royal Band) was established as in Europe. However this change has only been effective in the cities and only apparently, in the rural areas and in the sacred existence and heart of the people who are the basis of the army the drum and zurna, which are the symbol of the Mehter instruments and bravity have preserved their place always and until today they have lost nothing of their identity. The mehter has been reestablished in 1911 by Ahmet Muhtar Pasha and Celal Esat (Arseven). In 1914 the establishing has been completed and during World War I the organisation has been included into the army with the order of the deputy chief commander Enver Pasha.
During the War of Independence the mehter has also served. Until 1935 the Military Museum Mehter Band was playing historical Turkish music, but at that time the Minister of Defense Zekai APAYDIN deemed it the symbol of the Sultanate and abolished it because he deemed it inconsistent with its origins. Just while thinking it was abolished forever, the Chief of the General Staff Nuri YAMUT had seen the Scottish bagpipe band during one of his visits to London and after returning home he ordered the historical mehter band to be reestablished in the Milirary Museum.
After serious researches have been made, in 1953 the mehter band was for the third time in its history established, this time as six folded, and brought back to life per chance just by participation to the ceremonies of the 500th Anniversary of the Conquest of Istanbul on 29 May 1953. Within time the Mehter band was increased to seven and then to eight folds and with the offer of the manager of the Military Museum Ulvay Sabahattin DORAS dated 24 June 1968 no Id.Ks.A.0572-3-68 and with the order of the General Staff dated 10 July 1968 no Hrb.T.0572-1-68 IDA it has been established nine folded with its original costumes.
