TRENDEFRAtlas of the Sultans · Glossary
Term · Army and navy
Also known as: Ottoman military band
The palace and army band that played Ottoman military music.
The mehter played drums, zurnas, kettledrums and cymbals in battle and at ceremonies, raising the army's morale and announcing the presence of the sultan and the commanders. In 1826 the mehter was abolished together with the Janissary corps and replaced by an imperial band on the European model. It was re-established in 1914 as part of the military museum.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, article “MEHTER” (in Turkish); text condensed for the atlas.