Noman Çelebicihan (; 1885 – 23 February 1918) was a Crimean Tatar politician, lawyer, writer, and

mufti A mufti (; , ) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatāwa'' have played an important role thro ...

of Crimean Muslims. He was the President of the short-lived independent

Crimean People's Republic The Crimean People's Republic ( Crimean Tatar: ; ; ) or Crimean Democratic Republic was a self-declared state that existed from December 1917 to January 1918 in the Crimean Peninsula. The Republic was one of many short-lived states that declare ...

, established on November 26 (December 9 under the

Gregorian Calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

), 1917. He is best known for his authorship of the poem " Ant etkenmen" (), which became the Crimean Tatar national anthem. His early death at the hands of Bolshevik forces during the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

is still commemorated in the Crimean Tatar nation.

Biography

Noman Çelebicihan was born in 1885, in the village of , in

Chonhar Chonhar (), transliterated sometimes as Chongar (), is a village on the Chonhar Peninsula, within the swampy region of Syvash, in Henichesk Raion, Kherson Oblast. The village is a seat of the Chonhar rural community (selsoviet, silrada). It belon ...

region of Crimea near the present-day city of

Dzhankoy Dzhankoi or Jankoy is a city of regional significance in the northern part of Crimea, internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, but since 2014 occupied by Russia. It also serves as administrative centre of Dzhankoi Raion although it is not a ...

. Today the village does not exist and in 1948–68 was known as Chirik village within the Zavet Lenin rural council. His father's name was İbraim Çelebi, a member of a well-to-do Crimean Tatar family. His mother also was from a well-to-do family, daughter of Cihanşah Çelebi. He received his early education in his village. Afterwards, due to lack of opportunity, Çelebicihan was sent to Gülümbey Medrese, one of the well known

madrassa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary education or higher learning. ...

s of that time, with the help of his uncles. Later on he was sent to Constantinople to further his education. Noman Çelebicihan arrived in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

in 1908. He attended

Vefa Lisesi Vefa High School (, ), is one of the oldest and internationally renowned high schools in Turkey. The first ''Mülkiye Lisesi'' (English: Non-military High School) training in Turkish language was ''Vefa Lisesi'' established in 1872 which forming a ...

(High School) and later Law School. He resided in

Karagümrük Karagümrük is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Fatih, Istanbul Province, Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called E ...

section of Constantinople where a small group of Crimean Tatar students lived. One of the first organizations he founded, while a student in Constantinople, was "Yaş Tatar Yazıcılar Cıyını" (Young Tatar Writers' Association). He founded this association with his friend Abibulla Temircan in 1910 and published his first literary works such as ''Qarılğaçlar Duası'' (Swallows' Prayer), ''Altın Yarıq'' (Golden Light) and ''Şiirler Cönkü'' (Collection of Poems). He was one of the original founders of "Crimean Tatar Student Association" and also "Vatan" (Homeland), which became the seed for the political organization

Milliy Fırqa Milliy Firqa (, ملی فرقا - ''National Party'', Cyrillic: ''Милли фирка'') was a Muslim political group in Crimea, which transferred en masse to the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War. Noman Çelebicihan, Asan Sabri Ayvazo ...

(National Party) to carry on the independent movement in Crimea during the most turbulent period in its history. After graduating from Law School, Çelebicihan returned to Crimea to get involved in the independence movement, and was elected to represent the Or region of Crimea in the Crimean Tatar Qurultay. He was one of the most popular delegates because of his young age and education he received in Istanbul. In 1917 he founded the

and later that year, during the opening of the Qurultay on 26 November 1917, Noman Çelebicihan was elected the first

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the young Crimean Republic. Çelebicihan was not only the president of the independent

and Mufti of Crimea, Lithuania and Poland. He was also a

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

and writer. In addition to his aforementioned works, his poems such as ''Ant Etkenmen'' (I've Pledged), ''Bastırıq'' (Prison), ''Ay gidi...'' (Oh for...), ''Savlıqman Qal Tatarlıq!'' (Farewell Tatarness!), ''Yolcu Ğarip'' (Poor Traveler), and ''Tilkiden Selâm'' (Greetings from the Fox) are his most popular poems. ''Ant Etkenmen'' became the lyrics of the Crimean Tatar

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

, and according to

Şevqiy Bektöre Şevqiy Bektöre ( Crimean Tatar Cyrillic: Шевкъий Бектёре, Dobrujan Tatar: ''Şewkiy Bektóre'', , sometimes anglicized as Shewkiy Bektore or Shevki Bektore; 1888 – December 18, 1961) was a Dobrujan-born Crimean Tatar poet, publi ...

(another Crimean Tatar poet), "...was sung for the first time during the historic Qurultay (1917)..." His most memorable poem, however, is ''Savlıqman Qal Tatarlıq!'', which he scribbled on the walls of

Simferopol Simferopol ( ), also known as Aqmescit, is the second-largest city on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, but controlled by Russia. It is considered the cap ...

train station on his way to report to military service during World War I. In January 1918, barely two months after he was elected to lead his nation at the

Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar people The Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar People is a national congress and the supreme representative plenipotentiary body of the Crimean Tatar people that first met in 1917 at the Bakhchysarai Palace. It was there in December 1917 that the Qurultay firs ...

, the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

forces invaded

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

. He was arrested and imprisoned in

Sevastopol Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...

. On 23 February, a firing squad of the

Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...

executed him and unceremoniously threw his body into the sea without affording him a proper Islamic burial. He is still remembered today as a hero among Crimean Tatars. The Noman Çelebicihan Battalion is named after him.

External links

International Committee for Crimea biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Celebicihan, Noman 1885 births 1918 deaths People from Dzhankoy Raion People from Taurida Governorate Crimean People's Republic Crimean Tatar poets Crimean Tatar lawyers Crimean Tatar activists Crimean Tatar independence activists Crimean Tatar muftis History of Crimea Russian Sunni Muslims Vefa High School alumni Istanbul University Faculty of Law alumni Russian anti-communists Victims of the Red Terror in Soviet Russia People executed by Russia by firing squad

Biography

See also

External links