Distant Travels: The Tales of the Past

    Count Nikolay, the Russian ambassador to Istanbul writes that when he arrived at the headquarters of Patriarch  Barmanus, the latter personally read him a draft with "many noteworthy recommendations against the Ottomans." The draft wrote: "It will be impossible to defeat the Ottomans and destroy their state. They have great patience and are of firm standing. Likewise, their pride and self esteem are evident in their character. This morality is founded in their attachment to their religion, their satisfaction with fate, and their obedience to their sultan, their leaders, and their elders. Therefore, first their sense of obedience must be tackled, their moral ties must be shattered, and their religious adherence must be weakened. The quickest way to achieve this is to make them accustomed to foreign thinking that does not correspond to their surroundings, and behaviors that are different from what they are familiar to. When their Ottoman essence is shaken, the unique s

    During the early era of the Ottoman Empire, there were many Byzantine lords and commanders that joined the ranks of the Ottomans, even converting to Islam. The first (significant one) among them being  Köse Mihal, also known as Mikhael Kosses. In this video we will go over his life, achievements, exploits, and the legacy he left behind.           Mikhael Kosses, an ethnic Greek, is believed to have been from the famous Palaiologos Dynasty, which ruled the Byzantine Empire from the years 1259 until its downfall in 1453CE, the longest a dynasty ever ruled the empire. Köse Mihal was the Byzantine governor of the Harmankaya Castle. The Harmankaya Castle was in the Uludag mountains in the foothills of Bilecik, Turkey. After taking part in a battle against Osman Ghazi, alongside the Byzantine governor of Eskisehir, he was captured and taken prisoner. However, he was forgiven by Osman for his valor and heroism.       In the following years, a trap would be set up for Osman by the neighbor

    Sulayman Shah: the name that is famous all throughout the world,  known to have been the name of the father of Ertugrul. Meanwhile, the name Gunduz Alp is known to have been the name of Ertugrul's eldest son. Though, in reality, there is a lot more to these two names than that which most people know of.      According to the Ottoman legend, which was made hundreds of years after the establishment of the  empire, Sulayman Shah, the son of Kaya Alp, was the father of Ertugrul. But in reality, most historians (Ahmedi, Karani Mehmed Pasha, Enveri, and Ruhi, who are among the sources of the early Ottoman period) agree that it was actually Gunduz Alp, the son of Gok Alp, who was the father of Ertugrul. The reason being, in the coins minted by Osman during his reign were found "Osman bin Ertugrul bin Gunduz Alp." This alone is an evidence too great to dismiss. On top of that, it was a common tradition to name one's son after their father. Thus, it makes perfect sense tha

    During the  year 213 BC, an emperor was ruling over China that hated history so much, that he ordered all history books, old records, poems, and writings to be burnt. The only books that he permitted were those about agriculture and similar subjects that he viewed as useful. Anybody found in possession of any other types of books would be put to death immediately.     This emperor's name was Shih Huang-ti; he was the first emperor of all China, as well as one of the greatest warriors to ever have been heard of. He was from a  province called "Ch'in," and so his family inherited the name. It is likely that all of China was named after him.      Shih Huang-ti was the reorganizer of China, he managed to conquer all the provinces and transform pieces of land into an entire country. He ended the rule of the various princes and created a strong  state. However, he thought that in order for an entirely new China to be built, it was necessary to wipe out every trace of ho

    Akcakoca: the fierce warrior that conquered various lands during the early era of the Ottoman Empire. He was a beloved companion of Ertugrul, Osman, and even Orhan. However, what did he do to contribute so much to the establishment of the Ottoman  Empire and why do we still remember his name?     The name Akca, which is pure Turkish, bears traces of the Kayi tradition. Akcakoca is believed to have been the chief of a Turkmen tribe that had settled near the Byzantine border during the Anatolian Seljuk's period. He later became one of Ertugrul and Osman's closest comrade. He was also an early Ottoman Akinci Bey, meaning he was the head of the mobile, Ottoman advance guard that would raid the frontiers. From the year 1300-1310, Akcakoca made conquests in the coastal region stretching from Karasu to the shore of the Black Sea. Meanwhile, Orhan Bey, who was then a young prince, was gaining experience alongside him. In 1320, he was commissioned by Osman Ghazi to raid the Sakarya

      During the early era of the Ottoman Empire, there were a few heroic warriors who contributed significantly to the establishment of the state. These heroes were the closest confidants of Ertugrul and Osman Ghazi, and would later serve as the great military commanders, local governors, and administrators of the Ottoman Beylic. And even later on, their sons and grandsons would reach preeminence in the Ottoman administration and army.   Among these early Ottoman Ghazis was a warrior named Saltuk Alp.  Saltuk Alp     Saltuk Alp was one of Ertugrul Ghazi's greatest comrades. It is known that Osman Ghazi especially trusted him during his reign. In fact, in Asikpasaoglu's works, he writes that Osman Ghazi sent Saltuk Alp as a companion in Orhan ghazi's first expeditions.     When Osman went on an expedition to the Sakarya Valley, he assigned Kose Mihal and Saltuk Alp to assist his son Orhan Ghazi in ensuring the security of the region. The Cavdarlu Tatars, who really wanted t

    Osman Ghazi's lineage would go on to rule over a huge empire that would expand over 3 continents and last over 600 years. After hundreds of years, people are still wondering about the origins of this empire. That is why today's video is about a mother of the Ottoman Empire, Bala Hatun.  Rabia Bala Hatun     Historians have debated whether Osman Ghazi had one, two, or three wives. The reason being, in various sources, the names Rabia, Bala, and Malhun were found. According to some sources, all three names were of one person, who was the daughter of the famous scholar, Sheikh Edebali. I n the reports of Uric, Rabia is the name of the daughter of Edebali, and in those of Asikpasadaze and Nesri her name is Malhun. However, the most accurate opinion regarding this was that Rabia Bala Hatun was the name of the daughter of Sheikh Edebali and that Malhun Hatun was the name of the daughter of Omer Bey, a Turkmen Cheif.     Sources have determined that Malhun Hatun, was indeed, the f

    During the 13th century, Genghis Khan and the Mongols adopted a method of conquest that lead to the rapid conquest of the  Middle East. The Mongols would invade a neighboring area, devastate a large region, and recede back into the empire, retaining only a small portion of the land they invaded. In this new borderland, the Mongols would establish a force called a Tamma, which used the region to control Mongol frontiers, as well as intimidate and raid neighboring powers. It was the strategy that Baycu Noyan and other prominent Mongol commanders used in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. The modern word for this method is "Tsunami Strategy".     A perfect example of the Tsunami Strategy is the declining Seljuks. The Mongols viewed them as a theatre of  operation, rather than undirected conquests. That is why after the Battle of Kose Dagh, when the whole of Anatolia played open for easy conquests, the Mongols refrained from conquering, primarily because it did not fit into t

    It was the early 1400's, the Moors had been on a rapid decline due to division, internal strife, and attacks by  Christian forces. After King Ferdinand and Queen Isabelle united their Spanish kingdoms, they took over Muslim Spain with ease. The year was 1492, and it had been 800 years since Spain had been ruled by non-Muslims. That same year, an Italian explorer named Christopher Columbus pleaded before the king and queen, wishing to embark on a voyage to India, China and Japan for the purpose of finding a new route, which could be a means of trade and riches such silk and spices. However, the king and queen had little faith in him and sent him with the worst of ships, and a crew consisting of released prisoners who knew little to nothing about the sea. No one could ever imagine what Columbus would discover.  Columbus embarks on his journey     Though Columbus would never make it to Asia, he lead to a much more important discovery: the New World, also known as the Americas. Tho

    During the periods of Sultan Bayezid II and Sultan Selim I, the Ottoman Navy was expanding and employing experienced sailors . When Barbaros Hayreddin was made Grand Admiral in 1534, the Ottoman Navy would become the most dominant force in the sea, and it would change the course of Ottoman History. Outnumbering, allied Christian fleets would be indefinitely defeated, and Ottoman Sultans would be called "Sultans of the seas". Ottoman Sea warriors in North Africa ventured beyond the Mediterranean into the Atlantic. Ottoman sea power extended to the point that Britain itself was forced to pay taxes to the Ottomans. And so when America gained its independence from Britain, it was forced to do the same when all of its resisting navy ships were captured by the Ottomans. Despite all the money spent on his navy, George Washington was left with no choice but to sign a treaty in Turkish accepting all the terms of the Ottomans, including tax payments. To this day, it is the only eve

    The fierce & aggressive, double sworded warrior;  famous & legendary Oghuz nobleman;  hilarious & kind hearted, handsome & generous by nature: Bamsi Beyrek. Bamsi was a legendary hero, who's life was documented in "The Book of Dede Korkut", which is believed to have been over thousands of years old. Bamsi was said to have been the best friend of the main character in the book, Salur Kazan. However, what do we know about the life of the Oghuz legend, Bamsi Beyrek?     Many thousands of years ago,  there was a grand gathering of all Oghuz Princes in the presence of Bayindir Khan (the Aq Qayunlu Sultan). Upon seeing that every other nobleman had a son beside him, one of the princes, Bay Bure, started to weep. One of the noblemen, Salur Kazan (who happened to be the son in law of Bayindir Khan) asked him, "why do you weep"? Bay Bure replied, telling them he did not have a son or brother to carry on his family. And so, all the Oghuz princes prayed