Traditional Turkish archery

The Turkish bow is made by gluing together wood, horn and sinew; though short, it is very powerful and well suited to shooting from horseback. Making one could take months, sometimes years.

After the conquest of Istanbul, Mehmed II set aside Okmeydanı as a ground for archers. The spots reached by record shots were marked with nişan taşları — archery stones — some of which still stand. Ottoman archers were famed for shots of more than 800 metres.

Nearly forgotten in the 20th century, the tradition has revived in recent decades. Traditional Turkish archery was inscribed on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019, and Türkiye also succeeds in modern Olympic archery.