Chelengk
A chelengk (Ottoman Turkish: چـلنك;[1] Turkish: çelenk, pronounced [tʃeˈlæɲc]) was a military decoration of the Ottoman Empire. Turkish military awardOriginally a çelenk was "a bird's feather which one attaches to the turban as a sign of bravery"[2] 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.[3] 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.[3] 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[5] and placed in the National Maritime Museum. It was stolen in 1951 by Taters Chatham and never recovered.[6] Selim III also gave a chelengk to Russian Admiral Fyodor Ushakov after the capture of Corfu from the French in 1799.[citation needed] See alsoReferences
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