Ottoman Military Band

Ottoman military bands are the oldest variety of military marching band in the world. In modern Turkish, the band as a whole is often termed mehter takımı ("group of mehters").

You can listen mehter music by clicking on the video below.


Though Mehter band played a variety of frontier marches, Ceddin deden is one of the best known.

Lyrics of Ceddin Deden
(Seek) Your ancestors, your grandfathers, your generation, your father
Turkish nation have always been valiant,
Your armies, many times
Have been renowned throughout the world
Turkish nation, Turkish nation
Passionately love (your) freedom
Overwhelm the enemies of your (free) motherland
And make that cursed ones feel abjected