A chelengk (;
Turkish military award
Originally a
çelenk was "a bird's feather which one attaches to the turban as a sign of bravery"
but by the end of the 18th century, the
çelenk had become institutionalized in Ottoman military practice and continued to be awarded for military merit up to the 1820s.
It was a jewelled
aigrette consisting of a central flower with leaves and buds, and upward-facing rays.
In modern Turkish, a çelenk is a wreath or garland, a circular decoration made from flowers and leaves, usually arranged as an ornament.
Gifts to non-Turkish naval heroes
A specially-made chelengk was awarded to Horatio Nelson by Sultan
Selim III in honour of the Battle of the Nile in 1798. This was the first time that a chelengk was conferred on a non-Ottoman.
The usual seven rays were augmented to thirteen, as described in a contemporary letter:
Nelson's chelengk was bought by the Society for Nautical Research in 1929 following a national appeal
Selim III also gave a chelengk to Russian Empire Admiral Fyodor Ushakov after the capture of Corfu from the French in 1799.
See also
Sources
