Zildjian family apprentice still making historic cymbals in Istanbul

Mehmet Tamdeğer, once an errand boy for the world famous Zildjian cymbal makers, keeps hammering out his special-formula of precious copper to produce the drum component for artists around the globe in a moderate atelier in Istanbul.

The “Istanbul” brand, known as a historic offshoot Zildjian, has weathered both time and its industrial rivals, in the hands of Tamdeğer, who started the business at 10, helping the legendary Mikael Zildjian in the 1950s.

“As a gift of God, I lived very close to the [Zildjian] factory in Samatya. I spent my childhood there,” he said in a recent interview with Anadolu Agency.

“My dad died when I was 10 and my family was sort of shaken. I was employed at the Zildjian factory, where I worked until 1978. Master Zildjian was always by my side and I learned everything from him,” he said.

The story of Zildjian goes all the way back to the 17th century.

Avedis Zildjian I was an Armenian alchemist in Istanbul. “While attempting to create gold by combining base metals, he discovered an alloy of copper, tin, and traces of silver with unique sound qualities,” notes the website of Zildjian cymbals.

“In 1618, Avedis used his secret alloy to create cymbals of spectacular clarity and power. The sound of the instruments was so extraordinary that the sultan invited Avedis to live at court [Topkapı Palace] and make cymbals for the Sultan’s elite Janissary Bands,” the site states.

As Avedis’ reputation grew, the Sultan gave him the name “Zildjian” in Armenian, a word meaning “son of the cymbal maker.”

In 1623, Avedis was granted permission to leave the palace in order to start his own business in Samatya.

The Zildjian company moved to the...