Mehter Bands (Ottoman Military Musical Bands)
The other evening our long awaited friend from Minnesota came, so we inaugurated the visit with dinner out in the city center. As we dug into our kebabs we noticed a man with a gregariously red cloak and tall hat, and behind him another man in green velvet with an oversized drum walking through the square. No, the Renaissance festival has not come to Isparta. A Mehter Band was being set up to entertain the public in the auspicious moments leading up to the breaking-of-the-fast. We are in the middle of the Ramazan (or Ramadan), where most of the city abstains from food and drink from sun-up to sun-down. Anyone who wants a free meal and social experience post-8ish-PM can come to the big tent in the middle of the city for an iftar meal (the evening meal after the sun goes down during Ramadan). It appears, the Mehter Band is a bonus that comes with the deal. Harking to the time of the Ottoman Empire, Mehter Bands marched and played during military campaigns by the Janissary corps. No