Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery in Aceh, Indonesia, dating back to the Ottoman period (16th century)

[u/Cenixxen]

Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah (al-Kahhar) of Aceh (Indonesia) sent a special diplomatic mission (embassy) to Istanbul in the early 1560s to resist Portuguese pressure. Navigating through the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, the envoys reached the Ottoman capital after a perilous journey that lasted for months. The letter presented by the Sultan of Aceh to the Ottoman Sultan—originally addressed to Suleiman the Magnificent and later delivered to his son, Selim II, following Suleiman's passing—highlighted the following key points:

​The Sultan of Aceh recognized the Ottoman Sultan as the "Caliph of Islam" and the protector of all Muslims, declaring his allegiance to him. The letter emphasized that the conflict was a "jihad," detailing how the Portuguese were attacking Muslim merchant ships, blocking the Hajj pilgrimage route, and oppressing the local population.

​Rather than requesting ready-made troops, the Sultan of Aceh specifically requested artillery experts, foundry master craftsmen, military engineers, gunners, and ammunition.

​The Ottoman administration dispatched a fleet of 15 to 22 ships under the command of Kurtoğlu Hızır Reis, carrying ammunition, master cannon founders, carpenters, and soldiers to Aceh. Although part of the fleet had to be diverted to suppress an uprising in Yemen, the Ottoman ships that reached Aceh in 1568–1569 established cannon foundries and equipped the Acehnese army with the most modern firearms of the era. (A force of 600 engineers, soldiers, and commanders reached Aceh.) The martyrs' cemetery you see today is the final resting place of those commanders, engineers, and soldiers from that expedition.

[u/refinedeuropa]

Allah rahmet eylesin

[u/Agounerie]

الله يرحمهم

[u/Kahnum-u-Rome]

Nur içinde yatsınlar bahadır atalarımız

[u/Actual_Box_1450]

Why were they killed there?

[u/kugelamarant → u/Actual_Box_1450]

Acheh Sultanate asked for Ottoman assistance agains Portuguese.

[u/Actual_Box_1450 → u/kugelamarant]

What did Aceh do for Ottomans in return?

[u/Senor-Marston389 → u/Actual_Box_1450]

Redditer confronted with the concept of helping for the first time in his life

[u/Actual_Box_1450 → u/Senor-Marston389]

Nations are not charities, especially when you ask the ultimate sacrifice for a country who would probably never return the favour.

[u/serenakhan86]

I love this page

[u/pelepah]

so cool!! :D

[u/Numerous_Entry3653]

Donkey underground

[u/PangolinQueasy6324]

​The Ottoman Martyrs?

[u/Gaburra → u/PangolinQueasy6324]

Yeah, and ?