[[Image:Tugra Mahmuds II.gif|right|frame|The tughra of
Sultan Mahmud II of the
Ottoman Empire. It reads
Mahmud
Khan son of Abdülhamid is forever victorious. Written
out:
-
محمود
خان بن
عبدالحميد مظفر دائماً]]
A
tughra ( ; ) is a
calligraphic seal
or
signature of an
Ottoman sultan that was affixed to all
official documents and correspondence. It was also carved on his
seal and stamped on the coins minted during his reign.
The tughra was designed at the beginning of the sultan's reign and
drawn by the court
calligrapher or
nişancı on written documents. The first tughra belonged to
Orhan I (1284-1359), the second ruler of the
Ottoman Empire and it evolved until
it reached the classical form in the tughra of Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent
(1494-1596).
Tughras served a purpose similar to the
cartouche in ancient Egypt or the
Royal Cypher of British monarchs. Every Ottoman
sultan had his own individual tughra.
Visual elements of a tughra
The tughra has a characteristic form, two loops on the left side,
three vertical lines in the middle, stacked writing on the bottom
and two extensions to the right. Each of these elements has a
specific meaning, and together they make up the form that is easily
recognizable as a tughra.
Visual Elements of a Tughra
The name of the sultan is written out in the bottom section, called
a
sere. Depending on the period, this name can be as
simple as
Orhan, son of
Osman in the first tughra in 1326. In later periods
honorifics and prayers are also added to the name of the tughra
holder and his father.
The loops to the left of the tughra are called
beyze, from
Arabic meaning
egg. Some interpretations of tughra design
claim that the beyzes are supposed to symbolize the two seas the
sultans held sway over: the outer larger loop signifying the
Mediterranean and the inner, smaller loop signifying the Black
Sea.
The vertical lines on the top of the tughra are called
tuğ, or flagstaff. The three tugs signify independence.
The S-shaped lines crossing the tugs are called
zülfe and
they, together with the tops of the tugs that also look to the
right, signify that the winds blow from the east to the west, the
traditional movement of the Ottomans.
The lines to the right of the tughra are called
hançer and
signify a sword, symbol of power and might.
Tughras of the Ottoman sultans
File:Tughra_orhan_I.jpg|The first Tughra - Tughra of
Orhan I (1326)File:Tughra Suleiman.jpg|Tughra of
Süleyman the
Magnificent (1520)File:Tughra of Selim III.JPG|Tughra of
Selim III (1789)File:Tugra Mahmuds
II.png|Tughra of the Ottoman Sultan
Mahmud
II (1808)File:Abdul Hameed II Sign.svg|Tughra of
Abdulhamid II
(1876)File:Gallipoli-star-unadorned.jpg|Tughra of
Mehmed V (1909) as used on a
Gallipoli StarFile:Gate of Felicity Topkapi Istanbul
2007 detail 003.jpg|Tughra on the Gate of Felicity at Topkapi Palace
File:Port Gate tughra.jpg|Tughra above
Port Gate in Belgrade
Uses of tughra outside of the Ottoman context
Although the tughra is largely identified with the Ottoman Sultans,
they have also sometimes been used in other Turkic states, such as
the
Khanate of Kazan.
Later, tughras were
used among the Tatars of Imperial Russia
.
Modern interpretations of tughras
There are modern artists of
calligraphy
that use the characteristic tughra form today. Examples are the
tughras of Russian prime minister and ex-president
Vladimir Putin and
Akihito, the
Emperor of
Japan.
Image:Imperor Japan tughra.jpg|Tughra of
Emperor Akihito (Modern)
See also
External links
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