Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and serves as its financial and cultural center. More than 11,000,000 people live in greater Istanbul, making it one of the twenty largest metropolitan areas in the world. It is the only city in the world which sits astride two continents, with the European and Asian sides separated by a narrow channel of water known as the Straits of Bosphorus. During its rich history Istanbul has served as the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman empires. The city today reflects this eclectic mix of East and West.

In ancient times, the mountains of this region were found to have large reserves of copper and tin. Demand for these metals, and the natural crossroads location of Istanbul led to the establishment of trade routes to Europe and Asia. Metallurgy began here as copper and tin were smelted together to produce bronze.

Legend has it that the sounds of arrows hitting bronze shields led to the development of musical cymbals. In any event, highly skilled artisans have been hand making cymbals on the banks of the Bosphorus for hundreds of years. It is a time-honored labor intensive process that delivers the dark complex purity of tone sought after by discerning drummers for generations.

At Bosphorus Cymbals we honor and maintain that tradition to this day. We take no shortcuts, especially in the hand-hammering process. This critical step is absolutely necessary to create the fine nuances and depth of expression that your music demands. We believe hand-hammering means simply that: a man striking a cymbal with a hammer held in his hand. The artisan hears the sounds of the hammer blows as he feels the cymbal in his other hand, bringing to fore years of experience and mastery. That’s the only way we make each and every cymbal bearing our logo.

Sensing the importance of this process, some companies market their cymbals as hand-made. But are they really? Guiding a pneumatic hammer is not hand-hammering. Adding a few hammer marks by hand after completing the pneumatic process isn’t hand hammering. At Bosphorus, one man with one hammer makes cymbals one at a time. We call this essential human dimension the “Soul of the Cymbal”. Once you hear the difference, you won’t settle for anything less. Play one and believe!

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