Ottoman Empire
"Mecidiye March"

Music by: Giuseppe Donizetti
In use: 1839-1861, 1876

Upon the accession to the throne of Abdülmecid I "Gazi" (Abdul-Mejid I) in 1839, the march for the new sultan was also composed by Giuseppe Donizetti, who wrote the march for the previous sultan. (Franz Lizst also composed a paraphrase of Donizetti's work and presented it to the Sultan.) It does not have any lyrics.

This anthem was also used by Sultan Murad V, son of Abdülmecid I during his brief three month reign in 1876. However, under Murad V's reign, a different arrangement by Callisto Guatelli was used, and the anthem was published as Marche Imperiale Ottomane, and not "Mecidiye" nor "Muradiye" perhaps signifying for the first time the concept of a national imperial march rather than one for the emporer specifically.

Special thanks to: Jaroslaw Wojcik for informing me of this anthem and providing me with the music file, and Emre Yigit and Emre Araci for some of this information.

See also: Ottoman Empire (1808-1839, 1918-1922), Ottoman Empire (1861-1876), Ottoman Empire (1876-1909), Ottoman Empire (1909-1918).