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Ottoman Empire: Flags and coats of arms shown in the Topkapi Museum (Istanbul)

Imperial coats of arms
Red standard of Selim I
Items from Topkapi palace shown in Versailles in 1999
Osman's standard (?)

See also:

Imperial coats of arms

Photography by Dov Gutterman
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The flags shown on the second coat of arms are with a crescent and star whereas those shown on the first one are with a crescent only.

Dov Gutterman, 31 July 1999

Selim I's red standard

Photography by Baris Kilicbay

The red sandjak of the Ottoman sultan Selim I represents the Zulfikar sword. This flag carried to Egypt by Selim I (1466-1520) can be seen in the Topkapi Museum. During the XVIth and the XVIIth centuries the Zulfikar flags were widespread in Ottoman army and numerous red Zulfikar flags left in the battles in Europe are shown in museums and one can even see a red, triangular Zulfikar flag in the Doge Palace in Venice.

Baris Kilicbay, 20 August 1999

Items from Topkapi palace shown in Versailles in 1999

The following items were shown in an exhibition of the masterpieces of the Topkapi Museum (Istanbul), held in the Palace of Versailles (France), Summer 1999.

Quran box for a banner

This is a small (ca. 15 x 5 x 2 cm) silver box which contained a Quran and was tied to the top of the Army banners, to put God's protection of them. This might be put in parallel with the famous oriflamme, which had the same kind of protective power for the ancient kings of France.

Sultan's ceremonial caftans

Some of the displayed caftans are ornated with the three discs placed in triangle which appear also on the flag of the Rear Admiral of the Porte in a XIXth century Dutch flag chart. The notice of the exhibition said that