Istanbul Mehmet Cymbals Black Sea Ride 20" Natural Finish

The Istanbul Black Sea Ride 20" is a hand-hammered ride cymbal made of high-quality B20 bronze in a natural finish. The blackened finish gives the cymbal a unique look and allows the many filigree hammer marks to stand out clearly. The defined ride sound is very dark and dry and is especially suitable for music where a dark sound with a soft feeling is required.

Black Sea 1623 - A tribute of the Istanbul President

If you trace the traditional Turkish art of cymbals back to its origins, you will finally find it in the Black Sea region in northeastern Anatolia, where Mehmet Tamdeğer's birthplace is located. In 1623, with the official permission of the Sultan, the production of cymbals began in a suburb of Constantinople called Psamatia, now known as Samatya. Based on this history, in which the knowledge and craft of cymbal making was passed down from generation to generation, the young Mehmet Tamdeğer also learned every detail of this ancient Turkish art. His teacher was Mikhail Zilcan, the grandson of Kerope Zilcan. In the 1950s Tamdeğer finally started to work in the K. Zilcan factory in Samatya. The new Black Sea 1623 series of cymbals is now also Mehmet Tamdeğers homage to the legendary Turkish cymbal art, as well as a reminder of his personal roots.

Manufacturing by hand in Turkey

Like all Istanbul Mehmet cymbals, the Black Sea 1623 variants are 100% handmade in Turkey. Old tradition meets modern and innovative approaches to achieve the best results. The classic B20 alloy, which is used as standard for most professional cymbal series, is used.