An Aşçıbaşı (Ashchibashi), Chief-Cook outfit displayed in the old Military Museum (open between 1908-1940). The Chief-Cooks were one of the main officers of the Janissary army organization. They resided in each orta unit and were responsible for both supervising the food preparation and the raising of the novices. As the guardians of the janissary warrior codes, they were keen protectors of the Path (YOL). They were the personification of the rules and principles the janissary novices were expected to learn and obey. The Chief-Cooks had the authority to punish or imprison the novices for light crimes. (Photograph: April 1977, Hayat Tarih Mecmuası)
2 Comments
Scott C
Interesting in the cooks were responsible for training (YOL)?
Erdal Küçükyalçın
Thank you for your kind interest. Yes, they were responsible for the moral training of janissaries. Sanctifying food, symbollicaly, each novice was regarded to be like materials to be cooked. A process during which they were disciplined and taught the ethical behavour to act in line with the Code, that is the YOL.