Lagari Hasan Çelebi
Encyclopedia
Lagari Hasan Çelebi was a legendary
Ottoman
aviator who, according to an account written by Evliya Çelebi
, made a successful manned rocket
flight
.
from Sarayburnu
, the point below Topkapı Palace
in Istanbul
. The flight was said to be undertaken at the time of the birth of Sultan Murad IV
's daughter. As Evliya Celebi wrote, Lagari proclaimed before launch "O my sultan! Be blessed, I am going to talk to Jesus"; after ascending in the rocket, he landed in the sea, swimming ashore and reporting "O my sultan! Jesus sends his regards to you!"; he was rewarded by the Sultan with silver and the rank of sipahi
in the Ottoman army.
Evliya Çelebi also wrote of Lagari's brother, Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi
, making a flight by glider a year earlier.
is a film about the lives of Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi
, his brother Lagari Hasan Çelebi, and Ottoman society in the early 17th century as witnessed and narrated by Evliya Çelebi.
This legend was tested and debunked on the TV show MythBusters
, on November 11, 2009, in the episode "Crash and Burn". However, the rocket displayed on the TV show did not adhere to the specifications described by Evliya Çelebi.
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
aviator who, according to an account written by Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
, made a successful manned rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
.
Account
Evliya Çelebi proported that in 1633 Lagari Hasan Çelebi launched in a 7 winged rocket using 50 okka (140 lbs) of gunpowderGunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
from Sarayburnu
Sarayburnu
Sarayburnu is a promontory separating the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, Turkey. The area is where the renowned Topkapı Palace and Gülhane Park stand...
, the point below Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. The flight was said to be undertaken at the time of the birth of Sultan Murad IV
Murad IV
Murad IV Ghazi was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640, known both for restoring the authority of the state and for the brutality of his methods...
's daughter. As Evliya Celebi wrote, Lagari proclaimed before launch "O my sultan! Be blessed, I am going to talk to Jesus"; after ascending in the rocket, he landed in the sea, swimming ashore and reporting "O my sultan! Jesus sends his regards to you!"; he was rewarded by the Sultan with silver and the rank of sipahi
Sipahi
Sipahi was the name of several Ottoman cavalry corps...
in the Ottoman army.
Evliya Çelebi also wrote of Lagari's brother, Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi
Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi
Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi was a legendary Ottoman aviator of 17th-century Constantinople , purported to have achieved sustained unpowered flight.-Alleged flight:...
, making a flight by glider a year earlier.
Popular culture
Istanbul Beneath My WingsIstanbul Beneath My Wings
Istanbul Beneath My Wings is a 1996 Turkish film, written and directed by Mustafa Altıoklar. It is a dramatization of Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi's reported flight across the Bosphorus from Galata.-Plot:The film takes place in the 17th century...
is a film about the lives of Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi
Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi
Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi was a legendary Ottoman aviator of 17th-century Constantinople , purported to have achieved sustained unpowered flight.-Alleged flight:...
, his brother Lagari Hasan Çelebi, and Ottoman society in the early 17th century as witnessed and narrated by Evliya Çelebi.
This legend was tested and debunked on the TV show MythBusters
MythBusters
MythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
, on November 11, 2009, in the episode "Crash and Burn". However, the rocket displayed on the TV show did not adhere to the specifications described by Evliya Çelebi.
See also
- Evliya ÇelebiEvliya ÇelebiEvliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
- Hezarfen Ahmet ÇelebiHezarfen Ahmet CelebiHezârfen Ahmed Çelebi was a legendary Ottoman aviator of 17th-century Constantinople , purported to have achieved sustained unpowered flight.-Alleged flight:...
- Inventions in the Muslim world
- Timeline of science and technology in the Islamic world