Donanma Mecmuası 1915 Ottoman Navy Mag WW1 Mevlevi Regiment Islam German Red Cross Russia Germany

Donanma Mecmuası – “The Mevlevi Volunteer Regiment, the Sacred Banner and Ottoman-German Wartime Alliance” – Issue No. 34 – February 22, 1915 – Ottoman Turkish Edition

Description:

Donanma Mecmuası was one of the most significant military and cultural periodicals of the late Ottoman Empire. Published between 1910 and 1919, with occasional interruptions, it served as the official publication of the Ottoman Naval Association (Donanma Cemiyeti), an organisation established to strengthen the declining Ottoman Navy through public financial and moral support. The magazine aimed to promote maritime awareness, encourage public donations, report on international developments in naval and aviation technology, and document the achievements of the Ottoman military and navy through articles, photographs and illustrations. During the First World War, it also became an important medium for military reporting, religious ceremonies and patriotic wartime narratives.

The inside cover of this February 22, 1915 issue, No. 34, features a historical photograph documenting the official presentation of the Sacred Banner to the Mevlevi Volunteer Regiment. The accompanying Ottoman Turkish caption describes the ceremony as taking place at the Ministry of War, where the banner, bestowed by the Sultan, was formally handed over in the presence of military and official representatives. The photograph commemorates the volunteers who responded to the call for general mobilisation with the words “Buyur, emrindeyim” (Command me, I am at your service). Another important photograph shows Mevlevi volunteers gathered in front of the tomb of Sultan Selim I, providing a remarkable visual record of the participation of members of the Mevlevi order in Ottoman wartime mobilisation.

The issue also features extensive coverage of German military successes and the conflict between Germany and Britain. A particularly interesting historical article examines Çaka Bey, one of the earliest Turkish naval commanders, under the theme of the first Turks at sea. The literary section includes a poem by Namık Kemal. Other photographs document the visit to Istanbul of the President of the German Red Cross, who was received by the Ottoman Sultan, and Ottoman marine engineering officers who qualified at various levels in naval courses on December 15, 1914. A further historical photograph records the official ceremony held in Bursa on the occasion of the Ottoman Empire's Independence Day, showing provincial administrators and representatives of the Bursa Turkish Hearth (Türk Ocağı) standing in front of the tomb of Osman Gazi. Reports on developments along the Russian front complete this varied issue, combining Ottoman military history, naval affairs, religious heritage, diplomacy and literature.

Key Features:

• Publication: Donanma Mecmuası

• Issue Number: 34

• Publication Date: February 22, 1915

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Publication Period: 1910–1919

• Publication Background: Official periodical of the Ottoman Naval Association (Donanma Cemiyeti)

• Editorial Focus: Ottoman naval history, military affairs, maritime technology, aviation, religious ceremonies, international politics and wartime developments

• Inside Cover Photograph: Official presentation of the Sacred Banner to the Mevlevi Volunteer Regiment at the Ministry of War, in a ceremony attended by Ottoman military and government representatives

• Mevlevi Military History: The formation and activities of the volunteer Mevlevi regiment during the First World War, following the Ottoman call for jihad and general mobilisation

• Religious and Cultural Heritage: Photographs of Mevlevi volunteers gathered in front of the tomb of Sultan Selim I

• Ottoman-German Relations: Coverage of German military successes and the wartime conflict between Germany and Britain

• Early Turkish Naval History: A historical feature on Çaka Bey, one of the earliest Turkish naval commanders

• Ottoman Literature: A poem by the celebrated Ottoman author and poet Namık Kemal

• German Red Cross: A photograph and report concerning the visit to Istanbul of the President of the German Red Cross and his reception by the Ottoman Sultan

• Ottoman Naval Training: Photographs of marine engineering officers who received diplomas at various levels in naval courses on December 15, 1914

• Ottoman National Ceremonies: A historical photograph of provincial administrators and Bursa Turkish Hearth representatives in front of the tomb of Osman Gazi, commemorating the Ottoman Empire's Independence Day

• Eastern Front: Reports on military developments and the Russian front

• Historical Interest: An original First World War Ottoman periodical featuring rare photographs of the Mevlevi Volunteer Regiment, the imperial Sacred Banner ceremony, Ottoman naval officers, diplomatic visits and important historical sites