Altar Maket Ottoman Deli Cavalry Figure

Ottoman Deli Cavalry

Altar Modelling
Ottoman Deli cavalry figure
Code:ALT-OSM-08-02
54mm white metal, model figure. 11 pieces.
Requires assembly and painting. Glue and paint is not included in the box.

Ottoman Deli Cavalry

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Within the Ottoman Army (Ordu-yi Humayun), Deli forces were light cavalrymen recruited in the frontiers under the command of the Rumeli beylerbeyi and sanjak beys. Due to their extreme courage, extravagant clothes and willingness to attack the enemy without hesitation, these soldiers were named deli, literally “mad head” in Turkish. These unique soldiers were among the most amazing and interesting units, not only in Ottoman history but also in world military history. Deli were first seen in the 15th century and were abolished in the 19th century. They adorned their clothes with eagle feathers, eagle wings, lion or snow leopard pelts, and wore trousers made from bear or wolf skin. Their pointy yellow boots carried foot-long spurs. The aim of wearing this extraordinary clothing was to create panic and fear in enemies unfortunate enough to face the Deli in battle. With their terrifying appearance, determination, and willingness to fight in a superhuman manner, they served the Ordu-yi Humayun well for many decades, and were imitated by the enemies of the Ottomans for years to come.

This model is an outcome of years of historical research using original Ottoman and medieval European sources and came to this form in the hands of our great friend, talented sculptor Tony Aldrich.

Image from the work of famous Byzantine historian Chalcondyles’ work as published in later copy of French translation dated 1662. Source: Thomas Artus’un Histoire des Turcs, Paris, 1662, Volume II. One copy is in the rare items section of the Middle East Technical University library in Ankara, Turkey. (METU Library,, Ankara ML Rare Collection DR485 .V673)

Engraving dated 1576 from Melchior Lorck’s (Lorichs), “Tyrkerværk”. Original is at the Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK), Cobenhavn (the Danish National Gallery, Kopenhag). Other sources for this engraving:
- Thesaurus Exoticorum, Hamburg, 1688, Ks 4, s 52. See Gravürlerle Türkiye: Giysiler, portreler, Kültür Bakanlığı, 2002, Cilt 1, s 66
- Erik Fischer, Melchior Lorck in Turkey, The Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, 1990, s 33

Nicolas de Nicolay, Navigations et pérégrinations orientales, Lyon 1567
-Dr. Zdzislaw Zygulski, The Winged Hussars of Poland, isimli makale http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_hussars.html

Richard Knötel, Uniformenkunde, Berlin 1890, Band XII, No 35

Progress pictures in the sculpting of the master figure:

Independent review of the figure:

Views expressed here are entirely independent from Altar Modelling. We thank the author for his time in taking effort to provide a review of our figure:

Historicus Forma, 26 January 2009