There are periods of important events that take place in the memories of societies and symbols that remind these periods and evoke these events. These symbols are extremely important as they remind you of important events in history. The ships that achieved significant successes during the war periods with their heroism have also become legendary. If we give information about Mahmudiye Galleon, which is among these legends. These heroic ships have always taken place in the hearts of society. This situation has continued for many years. The ships, which have been a symbol of independence and victory, have always been an important place in the hearts of the citizens of the society. The stories of these ships and heroic sailors take place in our songs and songs, and they continue to live in these meaningful works of art. Mahmudiye Galleon is also an important one of these heroic ships. The story of Mahmudiye Galleon has been up-to-date and has survived to the present day. 

Before moving on to this important story of Mahmudiye Galleon, it is also useful to give information about the situation of the Ottoman navy at the beginning of the 19th century to better understand the importance of the ship. As it is known, the Ottoman Navy received a significant defeat in Inebahtı Naval War. After this defeat, he got his first defeat against the Russians in 1770 in Çeşme. The Ottoman Navy suffered a serious loss of power by the end of the 18th century. It was as if the Ottoman State's only power in the seas ended after these defeats. It took many years for the Ottoman navy to gather after the foul. In 1789, when Selim 3 ascended the throne, reforms in the field of maritime were initiated by the sultan first. These initiatives have yielded positive results and the state is known to have the most powerful navy in Europe by having 55 large warships towards the end of the sultan's reign. Reforms' providing positive returns in a short time began to recover the state's maritime power.

But this advantage did not last long. By 1827, the Ottoman Navy was exposed to the third biggest defeat in its history. A large fleet of Ottoman and Egyptian fleets was defeated off the shores of a fleet created by Russian, French and British navies off the coast of Navarino, and Ottoman ships were burned mercilessly. 58 warships were sunk in this defeat. After the Ottoman Navy was defeated in Navarin, an order was initiated to rebuild the Mediterranean fleet, which was lost by ordering Sultan Mahmud 2. It has been 2 years since the rout of Navarino. Mahmudiye Kalyonu, the flagship of the Navy, was launched with a great ceremony. Mahmudiye Galleon was designed by Turkish engineers and architects from top to bottom. It was also produced by Turkish workers. The architecture of this galleon was Mehmet Kalfa and his engineer was Mehmet Efendi. Adolphus Slade, who saw the ship when the construction of the galleon was almost finished in 1828, stated that he was amazed that a galleon with such a beautiful architecture of the sea was made by the men called barbarians.

Mahmudiye Galleon has the feature of being the most beautiful and biggest galleon that has been built up to that day, both with its figure and its imposing appearance. The galleon has 201 steps length and 56 steps width. The crew capacity is 1280 people and the ship has 128 guns. The ship has 3 masts and has three holds. The galleon, which is extremely impressive with these features, also has the feature of being a first-class warship. While the weight of the wooden boat is 2500 tons, the height of the warehouse is 8.5 meters. The draft of the ship has a measurement of 7 meters. A lion symbol roaring as the bow of the ship was added as it was thought that it would increase the morale of the nation after the defeat of Navarino. This symbol also contributed to the nation's strong feelings. Kalyon is named after Sultan Mahmud 2. This galleon has long been the largest ship in the world. With this feature, it has been the biggest indication that the empire is a state with greatness and power. It was a ship that surprised states with a strong navy.

In 1840, the revolutions in technology have also affected marine technology closely. Steam technology has now begun to be effective in sailing galleons. Mahmudiye Kalyonu was intended to be converted into a steamy structure by adapting this technology for a while, but this idea could not come to life because there was not enough space on the ship's deck for the ship's boiler. In addition to being the largest ship ever, Mahmudiye Kalyonu has been the subject of much important heroism during the Crimean War. It is seen that every time that this galleon enters and exits the port of Istanbul, the people of Istanbul compete with each other to see this galleon. In the old times, those who were seafarers on this ship used to mention that the two brothers who served on this ship could see each other only 5 years later to emphasize the size of the galleon. This narration has traveled because the ship is so big.

Having such a magnificent ship excited the public. The love and interest in the ship have increased so much that even superhuman powers have been thought to protect the ship. According to a story frequently told among the people, when the Crimean War broke out, Mahmudiye Kalyonu, which was anchored in the Golden Horn, broke its anchors and headed towards the Black Sea by itself. When Sevastopol came before them, he also turned around himself, firing all his balls and holding the castle. According to another story, while everyone was asleep, he explained that Mahmudiye Galleon was moving towards the battlefield on its own and entered in this way. When they woke up in the morning, the Russians, who saw Mahmudiye Galleon in front of them, surprised and swallowed their small tongue. Sailors who knew this opportunity had also attacked Sevastopol. As a result of the guns thrown into the Mahmudiye Galleon by the enemy ships during the Crimean War, these rumors increased and spread the story.

Moreover, although the flags of the allied ships were shattered, the allies asked for one of the same banners, since a banner similar to the Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha flag did not suffer any damage on the Mahmudiye Galleon. In addition to such legendary events, Sufistic meanings were also imposed on Mahmudiye Galleon. Especially during the Feast of the Sacrifice, it was explained that blood flowed overhead or people who were looking for a turbaned awliya saint during the blessed night time by keeping it pure on the deck of the ship. These clumsy grandfathers were able to find a place in the Sevastopol anthem. The Crimean War has a very important place in world maritime history as well. This war has managed to take its place in history as a multinational amphibian operation for the first time. It is also of special importance in history as the war when sailing ships were used for the last time. After this date, the period of steamships started.

Besides Mahmudiye Galleon, which bombed the port of Sevastopol, there were also allied ships. These ships are Peyki Meserret and Teşrifiye. Mahmudiye Galleon was the strongest and biggest galleon among all allied ships. It was not unlikely that a ship of this size would rotate while bombing the port of Sevastopol, making quick maneuvers as described in the legend and constantly bombing the port. However, contrary to expectations, it was exactly as described in the legend. Mahmudiye Kalyonu made quick turns and put its port under the rain. It will not be a lie if we say that we owe this maneuverability to our first steamship named Sürat, which was brought from England in 1828. The ship named Speed ​​has a small structure in size. However, this ship has been used frequently to facilitate sailing ships to the Black Sea for years. During the Crimean War, this ship accomplished many important things. The vessel named Sürat facilitated the mobility of large ships.

The Mahmudiye ship entered the Crimean War under the direction of Captain Ateş Ahmet Bey. The ship received the title of Gazi due to the heroism he showed in this war. This ship has become a legend among the people due to its success in war. Mahmudiye Galleon remained on the nation's agenda until 1877 1878 Ottoman Russian War broke out. So what happened to the ship that completed such important tasks that were the subject of so many legends? This ship has also come to the sad end of other ships in our history. This ship, like other ships, was not able to be dismantled. Despite military victories, the Crimean War was the beginning of the collapse of Ottoman economics. To make the expenditures smooth, large amounts of debts were taken before the war. Mahmudiye Kalyonu had been waiting in the shipyard for many years, and the Navy Supervision, which was unable to deal with the increased maintenance costs of the ship due to the obsolescence of the ship due to the aging of the ship, ended the service of the ship in 1875. The legendary Mahmudiye Galleon was drawn to Haliç, where he would wait idly for 12 years.

During the reign of Sultan Abdulhamit II, the financial difficulties of the country had reached a serious level. The Ottoman Empire, which was in financial trouble, searched for resources to pay the salaries of its officers. In 1888, it was decided to disassemble and sell Mahmudiye Galleon as a solution to this search for resources. Mahmudiye Galleon has gained an important place in the hearts of the people. So much so that even blood was flowing from the dismantled boards when the ship was dismantled. These rumors have been spoken among soldiers and the public for years. It is not only the achievements that the ship has gained in the battle that makes the ship so sacred in the eyes of the people. After two major sea wars and defeats, it took its place in history as a work made with the country's resources and with Turkish workmanship from start to finish.

Mahmudiye Galleon has a very important place in Turkish history. This ship has been the subject of paintings by many painters until the end of the 19th century. Pictures of this legendary ship were made by Kandiyeli Emin Baba and Mirliva Nuri Pasha. Today, pictures of this legendary ship are on display. A model with the original 1/33 scale of the ship and oil paintings by Hüsnü Tengüz are exhibited in the halls of Beşiktaş Naval Museum Crimean War and Mahmudiye Galleon. Countless visitors come to these halls and watch the pictures with great pleasure. These legendary stories of Mahmudiye Galleon still decorate history books. All stages of the ship, which is a concrete product of Turkish labor, from the design to its production have been carried out nationally. It was a source of national pride that this ship was built among the most powerful ships of its time, with national facilities. However, due to the financial difficulties of the Ottoman Empire at that time and the ship's inability to adapt to steam technology, its dismantling and selling its parts constitutes a sad end. Mahmudiye Galleon will take place in the hearts and history of the Turkish people from time to time, even after many years.