The Mother of all brass bands back in Europe
Mehter in Holland
Concert before the Royal Palace and during the European Championship Turkish Oilwrestling

The crusaders heard them play, their music brought down the walls of Constantinople and frightened the people of Vienna. The Mehter with a flourish of oboes, trumpets and a ruffle of thundering drums is symbol of emperorship in Islamic states.

To play in wars and during celebrations. The Mehter played during World War I and the Turkish War of Independence. But the Mehter had their finest hours when they played in front of the throne hall at the Topkapi Palace at the occasion that the most sacred Relics of the Muslim Faith, the Holy Flag of the prophet Mohamed was exposed. The Holy Flag, once waved by the prophets friend Eyup el-Ansari, killed during the First Arabic siege of Constantinople. The very spot where this flag was exposed is still protected, as we see on this DVD.

Mozart, Beethoven and many other western musicians composed music inspired by the Mehter, The Mehter did not only play for Turkish soldiers as they were liberating the suppressed people from their enemies. The Mehter played wherever the Ottoman Caliph and Sultan went. The last time they played in the Western World was on the 12th of September 1683. That day the Ottoman soldiers and their band marched away from Vienna at the end of the Second Turkish Siege of this city. The return of the Mehter took place on Saturday the 3rd of June 2000 when they played in front of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.

On this DVD this famous concert of the Mehter at what is know as the heart of Holland, Dam square in Amsterdam. The same Ankara Mehter played as well the next day during the 4th Amsterdam Kirkpinar, The European Championship of Oil wrestling. The oldest sport in the world and the oldest brass band in the world. See also our Traditional Turkish Oil wrestling site

On this DVD also the Inegöl Mehter. During their visit to Holland they played their ancient Ottoman Warfare songs between the Dutch Windmills and tulips of the historical Zaanse Schans. What makes this DVD more than just a registration the Old Janissaries Band is that the music is connected with the history of this Mother of all Brassbands. So we visit the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul to check the place where once the Sacred Standard of Islam was venerated by the home band of the ruler over three continents.

There are more tracks with relics tan the spot where the Mehter had their finest hours and were butchered. Relics of the Ottoman Sultans. We see the chair, desk and the golden Ottoman Coat of Arms in 'The Seat and Seal of Abdülhamid II.

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FREE BONUSTRACK
The Making Of Undercover, a docu-drama based on the Dutch bestseller 'Hoe gevaarlijk zijn de Turken' by Chris Nibbering and Mohamed el-Fers (published by Türkevi and distributed in The Netherlands and Belgium by Mets and Schilt Publishers Amsterdam). In 'The Making of' we see the shooting of a demonstration of the right wing movement at the Istanbul Courthouse, with in their midst the Dutch undercover-reporter Luna Pruim (Yildiz Dagsirti), dressed up as a fundamentist girl.