12/18/2017 Coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire

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Coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire

Apr 5, 2013 #1

ThedesignoftheOttomanCoatofArmswasaresultof
theeffortsofAbdulhamidII.ThisSultanwantedtomake
theOttomanEmpireamemberoftheGreatStatesduring
thelastquarterof"TheLongestCenturyoftheEmpire",a
timeinwhichheremainedinpower.Despitepolitical,
Sinan
ELITE MEMBER
economicandsocialdifficulties,SultanAbdlhamidII,had
exertedalleffortstoprovetoEuropethattheOttoman
Empirewasagreatstateoftheworld.
Messages: 15,428
TheOttomansrivalledthecoatofarmsformedwithrich
Joined: Feb 22, 2013
componentsoftheEuropeanmonarchieswiththe
Ratings: +35 / 28,705 / -3
mysteriousappearanceof"tugras"(thesealsofthe
sultans).Thedifficultyinanalyzingthemagicandmystery
initsvision,theunexplicabilityofitasasymbol,anda
signwasthereasonwhyitwasproduced.Contrarytothe
westerncoatsofarmswhichhavealonghistory,andare
composedofsimplesymbolsandshapes,thetugras
remainassymbolsdifficulttounderstand.

Therefore,thenecessitytocreateacoatofarms,the

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/coatofarmsoftheottomanempire.243952/ 1/13
12/18/2017 Coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire

symbolsofwhich,couldbeeasilyunderstoodby
westernerswasimperative.TheOttomancoatofarms
whichwasclearlyinspiredbytheMedalofTanzimat
(Reform)andtheFrench`SunKingmedalobtainedits
finalshapewiththeordersofSultanAbdlhamidon17
April1882.Themostimportantcharacteristicofthe
Ottomancoatsofarmsmadeinconjunctionwiththe
reformsimplementedtowardstheendofthe18thcentury
wasitsmilitaristicappearance.

Thefirstmessagedesiredtobeconveyedtowestern
stateswastheimageofagreatstatewithapowerfuland
traditionalarmy.

Itisanundeniablefactthatwhileputtingthefinaltouches
ontheOttomancoatofarms,theideasofSultan
AbdlhamitIIweretakenintoconsideration.Mostprobably
Abdlhamidgaveorderstotheartistsinthepalaceand
Minttoprepareanewcoatofarmsandapprovedtheone
helikedbestamongthemanydrawings.

ThecoatofarmswasdesignedtoshowtheWestthatthe
OttomanEmpirewasastrongState,whichalsohadaimed
atliftingthemoralvaluesoftheOttomanpeople.The
yearsduringwhichtheworkonthecoatofarmswas
carriedoutwerethemostdifficultyearsoftheEmpireboth
politicallyandeconomically.

Thereasonwhymanyweaponsareseentogetherinthe
Ottomancoatofarmsistostressthemilitarypowerof
theState.Asasimpleexplanation,weaponsbringtomind
thearmyandthemilitary.Thepresenceofmanyweapons
togetherrepresentastrongarmywithhighmilitary
capability.TheOttomanEmpirewhichwaslefttoface
defeatandlossofterritory,wantedtorefertoitsglorious
andthoughtitwouldbebesttoplaceasmanyweaponson
itscoatofarmsaspossible.

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1ThesunornamentaroundtheTugrastemsfromthe
resemblance,sultanandsun.

2Tugra(SealoftheSultan).TheOttomanSultanwas
placedintheseatofhonourabovetheStateandhis
subjects.Hecreatesanawesomeeffectmixedwith
mystery.Acoatofarmswithoutatugrawouldnotcreate
suchanimpactandwouldbeleftvoidofanymeaning.
Naturally,theOttomanSultanwouldsitintheseatof
honourwithhissignature.Thetugra,thatistosay,the
sultan,asseeninthecoatofarmsisthesunlightingup
theOttomanterritories.Thesunisasignofdaylightand
lifeasopposedtodarkness.Itisthereasonforlife.

DuetothetugraontheOttomancoatofarms,itwas
continuallyrenewed.Certainly,SultanAbdlhamidIIwho
designedtheOttomancoatofarmsknewthathistugra
wouldbereplacedbyanother.ThetugraoftheSultanto
succeedhimonthethronewouldbeetchedonthecoatof
arms.Howeverthiswouldnotchangetheimagesinceall
thetugrasoftheOttomansultansseemedquitesimilar.

3Thecrestedheadgearseenontheuppersectionofthe
shieldrepresentsOsmanGazi,thefounderoftheOttoman
State.ForOttomans,headgearwasanimportantsymbol,
proclaimingtheidentityofitsbearer.Onthecoatofarms
itproperlycorrespondstothoseroyalcrownsintheWest.
WhilethetugrasymbolizestheSultanonthecoatofarms,
crestedheadgearrepresentstheOttomanthrone.

Theturbanonthecoatofarmsisasymbolofworld
dominion,representingtheOttomanthroneanditsfounder
OsmanGazi.

4Caliphatebanner.Greenhadbeenthecoloroftheflag

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12/18/2017 Coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire

ofOttomansailors.Barbaros
flagintheMarineMuseumis
green.Shipssailingonpilgrimagesalsohoistedagreen
flag.TheOttomanarmyusedwhite,yellowred,greenred,
plainred,andplaingreenflags.However,duringthereign
ofSelimIII,thecolorofthebannerwaschangedtored.
TheAsakiriMansureiMuhammediyearmy,foundedby
MahmudII,usedflagsonwhichthefirstverseofthe
ConquestSurawasdepicted.Green,symbolizingIslam,
hadalwaysbeenthefavouritecolorofMuslims.

Theholynatureofthecolorgreenisrootedinits
symbolismoflifeandwater.Greensymbolizingasacred
colorisalsoduetothefactthatthegreenoasesinthe
midstoftheyellowgreyArabiandesertsheraldedlifeand
water.Indeed,thebanneroftheCaliphatewasblack.Only
itscoverwasgreen.Hence,thecoloroftheCaliphate
bannerwasalsomistakenlyknownasgreen.The
Ottomansadoptedgreenasaholycolor,reflectingIslamic
tradition.

OntheOttomancoatofarms,thegreenbannerwasa
reflectionoftheIslamicpoliciesofAbdlhamitII.Sincethe
Caliphate
sbannerwasblack,thatmusthavebeenblackas
well.However,thecolorgreenhadachievedthesame
meaningamongthepeople.

5Bayonetrifle

6Singlebladedhatchet

7Revolver

8Balance(representsjustice)

9TheHolyKoran(above)andStatutebook(under)

10N&#305&#351an&#305aliimtiyaz:Givento
scientists,administrators,soldiers.
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11N&#305&#351an&#305Osmani:Givento
officialswhoshowedoutstandingperformancein
governmentserviceproviders.

12&#350e&#351per(sixfoldmace)orscepter

13Anchor,representsOttomanNavy.

14Cornucopia

15N&#305&#351an&#305iftihar

16Quiver

17Mecidini&#351an&#305

18Trumpet

19&#350efkatn&#305&#351an&#305,Givento
womenwhoservedherstateandnationatthetimesof
war.

20Cannonballs(DoesnotexistinsomeCoatofArms.)

21Sword

22Cannon.

23Sword.

24Spear.

25Doublebladedhatchet(usedbyhighrankingmilitary
officials)

26Singlebladedhatchet

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12/18/2017 Coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire

27Flag

28Ontherighthandsideofthecoatofarmsan
Ottomanbannerisportrayedwithawhitecrescentstar
figureonaredfield.Thefivecorneredstarwasfirstused
oncoins,andthenfrom1844onwardsonbanners.The
colorofthebannerswasdecidedbyAdmiralHseyinin
1793.TheOttomanbannerstandsforthesymbolof
independenceonthecoatofarms.

29Spear.

30Shieldwithtwelvestars.Thesetwelvestarsmayhave
twomeanings.Firstofall,theymaysymbolizethe
Twelve
Imams
.TheMasteroftheJanissarieswasHac&#305
Bekta&#351Veli.Thereforethesestarsmaybea
reflectionoftheTwelveImamscultinBekta&#351i
belief.However,thefactthattheJanissarysystemhad
beenabrogatedandtheBekta&#351isectcrushedin
1826underminesthisassumption.

Thenumbertwelveimpliesanotheralternative:thetwelve
starsorconstellationsoftheZodiac.Thissecondmeaning
seemsmorereasonable.Thestarsontheshieldplacethe
OttomanEmpireatthecenteroftheuniverse.Giventhat
thestarsweretransformedintocrescentstarslater,they
mayalsobeconsideredtorepresenttheOttoman
provinces.Itisobservedthatthenumberofstarschanges
onsomecoatsofarms.Eightormorestarsareregarded
asadeviationfromthenormonthecoatofarms,usually
seenonverysmallonesoronthosecarvedintostone.
TwelvestarswerealsousedontheTanzimatMedal,by
whichmostlateOttomantugaswereprobablyinspired.In
thecenteroftheshieldisastylizedsolarsymbol.

*OntheOttomancoatofarmsthereisanArabic
inscription:
TheruleroftheOttomanEmpire,Sultan
AbdlhamitwhoputshistrustinGod
.
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12/18/2017 Coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire

ThereasonfortheinscriptionbeinginArabicisbecausethe
Ottomanswouldusethecoatofarmsnotonlyinthe
countrybutabroadaswell.Itcouldwellbethatitwas
consideredmorepropertowriteitinArabicsinceitisa
prayer,inlinewithtraditions.SultanAbdlhamidIIwho
followedanIslamicpolicy,mayhaveorderedittobe
writteninArabic.Althoughthecoatofarmswasmadeto
representtheOttomanEmpire,theSultanlefthisimprint
withallhisgrandeuronitforthesecondtimewiththis
prayer.

TowardsthefinalyearsofthereignofAbdlhamit,this
prayerwasplacedontheupwardlookingcrescentunder
thetugra.Ontheedgesoftheshieldtwelvestarswere
depicted.Inlateryears,thesestarswereplacedbetween
twocrescentsandthereweretwelvestarsbetweena
doublecrescentontheshield.

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https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/coatofarmsoftheottomanempire.243952/ 8/13
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Apr 6, 2013 #2

Beautiful,verydetailed.Thanksforposting.

Horus
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12/18/2017 Coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire

Apr 6, 2013 #3

Thelastone

T-123456
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Apr 8, 2013 #4

freakinawsumn

saad_hawk
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Apr 8, 2013 #5

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12/18/2017 Coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire

KingMamba
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Apr 10, 2013 #6

probablyoneofthemostdetailedCOAs.waytoopompous
imho.
currentlyturkeyhasnoCOA,whichmakesittheonlyone
ofitskind.

krlbx
FULL MEMBER

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Messages: 54

Joined: Feb 11, 2013

Ratings: +0 / 16 / -0

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12/18/2017 Coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire

Apr 11, 2013 #7

^
Jealous

atatwolf
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Apr 11, 2013 #8

I'mthinkingoftattooingtheCOAonmyshoulderandthe
autographofMustafaKemalonmyhart.:p

Vatoz
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