A janissary banner from 18th century displayed at the Hadji Bektash Convent in Nevşehir (north of Cappadocia, Central Anatolia). The Convent was the spiritual center for the janissaries who adhered to Bektashism, the sufi order of Bektashi Dervishes.
The text on the banner is in Turkish written in Ottoman script, and it shows the strong ties the janissaries had with both Hadji Bektash (The founder of the order) and the sultan.
A translation of the text by the author of this blog, is as follows:
Riding a wall without a soul, Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli
Is a remembrance of the Holy Light of Ali
Battle cry of (his horse) Duldul, stays at the zenith of the skies,
With that cry a hundred thousand times a thousand infidels fall prey (to Ali)
Saith (God)“That’s my lion Ali, embracing his power”
No hero but Ali, no sword but Zulfikar!
They put the head of the Shah on Qarbala field
They pressed their fingers on Shah Huseyin’s blood
Without pity, those dirty enemies slashed his throat
Their insults would not fit that Shah’s glory
The moment before his blood dropped on the ground, the dust called:
Lâ fetâ illa Ali, Lâ seyfe illa Zülfikâr
(No hero but Ali, no sword but Zulfikar!)
Long Live my Sultan!
With your state, live a thousand times!
