OTTOMAN MARINERS

Ottoman state was founded in the beginning of 14th century AD but the navy was first  developed  after Constantinople was conquered in the mid of 15th century. The great Ottoman admiral called as Barbarossa is accepted as the founder of imperial Ottoman fleet.In 1533 AD, Barbarossa  came to Istanbul and he was appointed as the commander of navy forces then he began expanding the Ottoman fleet. The navy became the major naval power in all seas, especially in Mediterranean  Sea. The shipyards  were established depending on the strategic sitiuations of Ottoman port to produce war ships and the large shipyard was founded in golden horn to make 200 warships at least for the fleet. Chios, Danube, Sinope, İzmit, Alaiye were the main sea bases  for Ottoman navy.   The Ottoman sea forces were known as “ Donanma-i Humayun-The great Ottoman Navy “ and the Ottoman navy forces commander was known as “ Kaptan-ı Derya-great admiral of the seas “. The mariners were classified into main three groups :

1.     Mariners  called as Azeps
2.      The mariners caming from Ottoman states
3.      The crew

 The Azeps were the fighting troops who they aimed to capture the enemy ships in as hort time during the sea battles. Their barracks were in Golden Horn in İstanbul and in sea bases where their ships ancored.  The crew were the third group whom they were responsible for the shipping affairs.  The  numbers of azeps and crew were changed depending of the capacity of war ships from 100 azeps to 600 and from 20 crew to 100.  In 16th century Ottoman navy was expanded as the major sea power all over the world and hundreds of sailor classes were created and added to a large Ottoman navy aand some Janissary troops were appointed to big war ships called as “ Kalyon, Çektiri, Baştarda and so on “.  The main Ottoman mariners were called as “ Azeps, Galleons, Oarsmen and Levends .”   When the Ottoman empire was expanded on three continents and seven seas in 16th century AD, the navy began expanding as parallel to the enlargement of the empire and 7 main fleets were established at different sea bases ; Istanbul was the headquarter where all the fleets were ruled under the commander of Kaptan-ı derya-commander of  navy forces. The other fleets were ;

A-Indian ocean fleet
B- Egyt fleet
C-Basra fleet
D-Black Sea fleet
E-Mediterranean fleet
F-Danube fleet

The headgears , which were worn by  a large variety of mariners in Ottoman navy forces, were classfied into many groups  and the headgears were engraved on gravestones when the mariners passed away. All the mariners’ gravestones were called as Makdem as the trademark of mariners and sailors in general but their squads’ badges or coats of armes were engraved also on their gravestones showing their squads or classes so the mariners were identified easily from other main groups.

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