Although the first Turkish order, the Order of the Turkish Crescent, was established as early as 1799, the institution of orders in more common use didn't really begin until the 1830's, and even then awards were extremely limited.  Only during the Crimean War did the use of orders become much broader, extending to people of relatively lower rank.  The use of the term "order" is convenient in English, but has its roots in Christian religious orders of chivalry, and would not really apply to Ottoman orders.  Nonetheless, the Ottoman orders were fashioned after and influenced by their European counterparts, especially the French Legion D'Honneur.  The Mejidie Order was clearly intended to be an equivalent to the French order.

Order of the Turkish Crescent - 1799
Order of Glory - 1831
Mejidie Order - 1852
Order of Honor - 1861
Osmanie Order - 1862
Order of Charity - 1878
High Order of Honor - 1879
Order of the Illustrious Ottoman Dynasty - 1895
Order of Education - 1910
Order of Excellence - 1910
Order of the Ottoman Chamber of Deputies - 1915
Order of Ertugrul
Order of Agricultural Merit

Order of the Turkish Crescent - Frequently referred to simply as the Order of the Crescent, this order is regarded as the predecessor to a formalized system of Turkish orders. In 1799 Sultan Selim III awarded a decoration to Admiral Lord Nelson for defeating the French fleet off Egypt.  This award, which was probably considered a unique decoration at the time it was made, came to be known as the Order of the Crescent. The awarding of orders insignia had not yet become standard practice in the Ottoman empire.  More commonly, people were rewarded with cash stipends and "Chelenks" - diamond studded jewels of no fixed design.  The Order of the Crescent did not appear to have any statutes, and therefore did not exist as a single award, but rather was constituted by a series of unique awards of similar design - probably chelenks - presented during the time of the Napoleonic wars. Some sources say that second and third classes were added after 1800, when a few British officers were awarded this order for the Nile Expedition, but it seems likely that it was only a one-class order.  The additional classes referred to were probably gold classes of the Egypt Medal of 1801, leading to some confusion.  The order itself, such as it was, appears to have been discontinued after the French were defeated in Egypt, and there were probably no more than three awards.  These presumably went to Nelson, the British Prime Minister (according to one source), and General Sir Hugh Baird, KCB.  

Badge:  Sources are contradictory on this topic, but if we discount the Egypt Medals which are often confused with the Order of the Crescent, the badge is apparently an oval shaped pinback brooch with diamond set rays surrounding a central medallion of red enamel bearing a raised gold crescent and star set with diamonds in the center.  Contemporary portraits of Lord Nelson show a jewel of this type worn on his left breast, and Lord Nelson's coat - currently in a museum in England - bears an embroidered star of this design.  General Sir Hugh Baird, KCB received a similar Order of the Crescent badge, which can be seen by clicking on the thumbnail picture below (courtesy of Dix Noonan Webb auctioneers).  It consists of a large gold and silver medallion with a faceted glass cabochon rather than an enameled center. This may have been a later modification. 

Ribbon: The sash may have been either a pale yellow/cream color, or crimson red.  In all probability, however, the original awards had no ribbon or sash, but were pinned directly to the coat.
 

Photo Courtesy Dix Noonan Webb

 

Order of Glory (Iftihar Nishani) - Instituted in 1831 by Sultan Mahmud II as an award of general merit.  This order came in one class - a breast badge suspended either by a hook shaped pin (type 1) or a ribbon (type 2).  Some sources show this as becoming obsolete after the Mejidie Order was introduced in 1852, but examples of the second type are known to have been awarded during the reign of Abdulhamid II (1876-1909).  Great variation exists in these orders, and little hard information exists about award or design criteria.

Badge:  This order can be roughly divided into two varieties. Once again, many variations exist.  Defining only two types is extremely narrow, but gives a general idea of design trends for this order:

type 1: A circular gold medallion bearing the tughra of Mahmud II contained in a 16-point star.   Surrounding this is a diamond-set badge with a spray of laurel leaves at the bottom.  On the top is either a crescent and star suspension device surrounded by silver rays, or a stylized ribbon bow, also set with diamonds.

type 2:  A gold medallion as above, but oval in shape, surrounded by silver rays set with diamonds.

Ribbon: Red with green side stripes (the standard ribbon of most Ottoman awards in the 19th century).

 
Mejidie Order (Mecidi Nishani) - Established in 1852 by Sultan Abdulmejid I, this order became the quintessential decoration of the Ottoman Empire.  The order came in five classes, with the highest class limited to 50 members, and the lowest class limited to 6,000.  This limitation did not apply to foreign recipients, however, and many examples were awarded to foreign diplomats, heads of state, and British, French, and German military personnel.  The Mejidie order could be awarded to women.  

During the First World War, awards for distinction in military operations could be made with crossed sabers.  This was an augmentation to the existing classes of the awards, and could be conferred on those who already held the order in the same class.  It is estimated that only about 5% of awards from that time period were with sabers.

Badge:  Seven-pointed star in silver, with a gold central medallion, around which is a red enameled band bearing four plaques with the words "Zeal, Devotion, Loyalty" and the year AH 1268 (1852) on the bottom plaque.  Between each ray of the star are small crescents and stars.  The badges of the order are suspended from a red enameled crescent and star device.  The breast star resembles the badge of the order, except that the rays of the stars are in two layers, with the crescents and stars superimposed on top of the lower layer.  Examples of the highest class are sometimes seen set with rose-cut diamonds or "pastes", which represents an augmentation of the first class.  Original awards would have had real diamonds, but over time many of these have had the diamonds replaced with glass pastes.

Early examples from the Crimean war period are usually more desirable to collectors, especially in the higher classes.  Badges of that period are distinguished by two piece construction, with a hollow convex back plate, and by a round ring at the top of the badge connecting it to the suspension piece, rather than a square ring found on later pieces.  Early breast stars are somewhat more "flat" looking in appearance, with lower relief in the faceted rays of the star, and have loops on the back to allow them to be sewn onto the uniform, rather than a hinged pin.  Later examples had a slightly concave back, usually with the Ottoman Mint hallmark, and a square loop at the top of the badge.

Ribbon:  Bright red with narrow green stripes inset from each edge.  Ribbons of early badges have been seen in a dark scarlet shade, with pale olive edges (not inset), but the date of transition to bright red is not known.  It is possible that the ribbon evolved over time, becoming brighter red with darker green stripes, which were inset on later ribbons.

 
Order of Honor (Nishani Imtiyaz) - Originally created by Sultan Abdulmejid I, and continued during the reign of his successor Sultan Abdulaziz (1861-1876).  Little is known about the order, as no regulations or statutes for the order are known to exist, but examples of badges from both Sultans can be found in the Topkapi museum in Istanbul.  It apparently came in only one class, was awarded to only the highest state officials, and was not returnable to the state upon the recipient's death (although whether this means the next of kin of the recipient could wear the award is not certain).  Examples of this order are extremely rare.  Only one example with the tughra of Abdulaziz is known to exist.

Badge:  Gold star with 35 rays of almost equal lengths, making it almost round in appearance.  The center medallion is gold, surrounded by a red enamel wreath of laurels.  The Tughra of either Abdulmejid I or  Abdulaziz, depending on the time of the award, is in the center of the medallion on  a raised multi-pointed star.  The badge is suspended from a jeweled ring, which has two prongs on the back for wear.

Ribbon:  Red with narrow green side stripes inset from each edge.  Usually this is a narrow bow ribbon worn through the pinback suspension loop.

 
Osmanie Order (Nishani Osmani) - This order was created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdulaziz.  With the obsolescence of the Order of Glory, this became the second highest order in the Empire, ranking below the High Order of Honor.  It was awarded to Ottoman civil servants and military leaders for outstanding services to the state.  Generally, it could not be awarded to women, but exceptions appear to have been made at the Sultan's discretion.  From 1915 until the end of the First World War, all classes could be awarded with sabers when awarded for achievements in military operations.  This was an augmentation to the existing classes of the award, and it is estimated that about 5% of the awards from this period were with sabers.

The order was originally established in three classes.  In 1867 the order was expanded to four classes, plus an augmented first class set with brilliants or diamonds (This does not include the awards with sabers, which were not separate classes, but did constitute separate awards).  The order was restricted (for Turkish recipients) to 50 members of the first class, 200 members of the second class, 1000 of the third class, and 2000 of the fourth class.  Originally, one could not receive the first class of this order without having first been decorated with the first class of the Mejidie Order, but during the 33-year reign of Abdulhamid II, most of these restrictions were ignored and the first class of both orders were awarded liberally.

Badge:  The badge of the order is a seven pointed star in dark green enamel, with three short silver rays between each point of the star.  The center medallion is in gold, with a red enameled field surrounded by a green enameled band.  In the red central portion is a raised gold crescent, and a calligraphic inscription reading "Relying on the Assistance of Almighty God, Abdulaziz Khan, Sovereign of the Ottoman Empire".  The reverse center medallion is silver, bearing a trophy of arms and the year AH. 699, the year of the creation of the Ottoman Empire.  The badge is suspended by a gold crescent and star, facing upwards.  The star of the order bears the same obverse center medallion superimposed on a silver seven pointed star of faceted rays.  A star of the first class typically measures about 100 mm, while that of the second class measures about 90 mm across, with the Ottoman mint mark on the reverse.

Some examples of this order have been seen that do not have the green enamel seven pointed star on the badge.  Instead, the badge resembles the breast star, with the center medallion superimposed over the rays of a silver (unenameled) eight-pointed star.  The ring around the center medallion was enameled in red, rather than green.  These are believed by some to be early (pre-1867) examples, but there is no evidence to support this.  More likely, they are privately made variants.

Ribbon:  Bright green with red border stripes inset from each edge.

 
The Order of Charity (Shefkat Nishani) - Instituted in 1878 by Sultan Abdulhamid II in three classes, this order was reserved for females.  It was given in recognition of charitable work, or as a token of the Sultan's esteem.  The following excerpt from the NY Times of July 7, 1902 illustrates an example of the latter:

 "CONSTANTINOPLE, July 7- United States Minister Leishman, Mrs. Leishman, and their two daughters; Spencer Eddy, Secretary of the United States Legation, and A. A. Gargiulo, interpreter to the Legation, dined at the Yildiz Palace yesterday and were subsequently received in audience by the Sultan.... To Mrs. Leishman (the Sultan) gave the Grand Cordon of the Order of Nichan-I Chefakat, and to the Minister's daughters he presented the decorations of the same order."

Badge:  A five pointed star in gold, red enameled, with ball finials and a central medallion in gold bearing the tughra of Abdulhamid II.  Around the central medallion is a green enameled band with the words "Humanity, Assistance, Patriotism".  The badge is suspended from a small red enameled crescent and star.  The second and third class badges, and the star of the first class, have faceted rays between the points of the star, and a wreath of laurels with berries in red and green across the rays. The third class is silver, gold and enamels, while the second class is set with jewels.  The first class breast star, which is much larger than the other badges, is set with diamonds, and the berries on the laurel wreath are set with rubies rather than enameled.  The first class badge does not have rays between the arm, and is worn on a sash in conjunction with the breast star.  The second class badge is worn on a neck ribbon, and the third class on a bow ribbon, attached to the clothing with metal prongs on the back of the suspension device.

                                          Photo Courtesy Sotheby's

Some examples of the second and third class badges are known to be set with real diamonds, while others use glass pastes.  These variants are jeweler copies, and are often found with European jewelers' marks, or unmarked.  Likewise, badges are found in gold, silver gilt, or bronze gilt.  There are also variants of the second or third class made by Coro, a well known maker of costume jewelry, which feature a red enameled center medallion with a white enameled surround, and no enamel on the star, as well as floral scrolls between the rays of the stars.  While these may have been made as private purchase pieces, they may also have been merely decorative and should be regarded as jewelry, rather than orders.

Ribbon: White with green/red/green stripes toward the edges.
 

High Order of Honor (Nishani Ali Imtiyaz) - Instituted 1879 by Sultan Abdulhamid II as the highest order in the Turkish hierarchy of awards, replacing the Order of Honor (Nishani Imtiyaz).  It was awarded for military, political or social achievement, and to honor foreign dignitaries and members of the Imperial family.  This order came in only one class, which consisted of a sash badge and breast star, as well as  a neck badge.  The most recent example known to have been offered was sold at Sotheby's in June 1998 for £18,400, and contained all three pieces.  Examples of this order are extremely rare.

Badge: The badge of the order is an eight-pointed gold star with a gold central medallion bearing the tughra of Sultan Abdulhamid II.  On the neck badge and sash badge, the central medallion is surrounded by four green enamel plaques in the form of banners, bearing the words "patriotism, energy, bravery, fidelity" in Ottoman script.  The breast star differed from the neck and sash badges by bearing a four-pointed star in green enamel in place of the four plaques or banners.

Photo Courtesy Sotheby's

Ribbon:  Half green, half red, with the red on top (neck ribbon) or to the right (sash).

 
Order of the Illustrious Ottoman Dynasty(Hanedani Ali Osman Nishani) - Instituted by Abdulhamid II in 1895, this order was extremely exclusive, as it was restricted to royalty.  It was awarded 50 times, to members of the Imperial Family, a few foreign monarchs, and to only one non-royal recipient: Grand Vizier Tewfik Pasha.  It became obsolete with the abolition of the Ottoman state in 1923.  There was only one class.  Examples of this order are of the highest rarity, the most recent known sale at auction being at Sotheby's in June 1998, fetching £26,450.  Most collectors, therefore, needn't leave a space for it in their displays.

Badge:  An oval medallion in gold, with the tughra of Abdulhamid II, and the inscriptions "Relying on the Assistance of Almighty God" above and "Sovereign of the Ottoman Empire" below the tughra.  Surrounding the center medallion is a red enameled ring bearing the dates AH 699 and AH 1311 (1299 AD, the date of the founding of the Ottoman Empire, and 1895 AD, the date of the founding of the order).  At the bottom of the medallion is a spray of laurel leaves in white enamel, and around the top a bow in white enamel, topped by a white enameled crescent and star suspension.  The badge could be worn either from a collar composed of red enameled plaques bearing white crescents and stars, or from a wide bow ribbon of red and white diagonal stripes, with a short enameled gold chain similar to the collar around the center of the ribbon.  The ribbon bow was to be worn only when no ribbons or sashes of other orders were worn simultaneously.

Photo Courtesy Sotheby's

Ribbon:  Red and white diagonal stripes, used only in a bow shape (see above).

 
Order of Education (Maarif Nishani) - Instituted July 1910 by Sultan Mehmed Reshad V to recognize educators for achievements in science, scholarship, and the arts.  In order to be eligible, a recipient would have to a record of excellence for at least five years.  The order came in three classes, and was a "step" decoration, i.e., first awards were in the third class, after which the recipient could earn higher classes after 10 or 15 years of additional service.  (In theory, therefore, no first class awards would have been made before the end of the Empire, but it is believed that some first class awards were presented in spite of the statutory time limits before being promoted to a higher rank.)  When awarded a higher class of the order, the lower class badge was to be returned to the state.  Awards could be made in any class for extraordinary contributions to education, and it would appear that bestowals of the 1st clas were made early on, especially to foreigners.  

Badge: The badges are of silver gilt, with a red enameled center medallion bearing the tughra of Mehmed Reshad V,  surrounded by a white enameled crescent with a star between the points at the top.  On the crescent are the words "Science, Knowledge, Fine Arts" in Ottoman script.  Around this is a wreath of laurel and oak leaves in green enamel.  The configuration of the wreath determines the class of the award: the first class badge is fully surrounded by a wreath, with a red enameled bow at the bottom, and an extension of the leaves making a suspension device at the top; the second class has the wreath starting from the top, above the tips of the crescent, and extending down only to about three-quarters of the circumference of the badge; the third class has the wreath behind the white crescent, so that it appears the crescent is superimposed over the wreath, which stretches across the lower portion of the center medallion and circles only the top third of the outside circumference of the badge.


Photo Courtesy Olivier Chosalland

Ribbon: White with a red central stripe.  The first class was worn on a neck ribbon, while the other classes were breast decorations.

 
Order of Excellence (Meziyet Nishani)

This order was instituted in July 1910, and ranked above the Mejidie Order and Osmanie Order.  It was to be issued to Ottoman and foreign citizens for humanitarian services.  It was divided into five classes, but it is doubtful that any examples were ever issued in any class.  The reason for this is unknown, and especially mysterious as the statutes for the order were detailed in the court almanacs of the period, even though no recipients of the order were ever listed.  A preliminary design drawing for the insignia was made, but it does not appear to have progressed beyond that point.

 

Order of the Ottoman Chamber of Deputies (Meclisi Mebusan Azalarina Mahsus Nishan) - This order was awarded in 1915 to members the Ottoman Parliament - the Chamber of Deputies.  As such, it was more of a badge of rank than an order per-se, as it was not awarded after that time and did not have award criteria other than membership in the Chamber of Deputies.

Badge: A seven-pointed white enameled gold star, superimposed with a gold crescent and star in the center.  There is an inscription on the gold crescent and star with the words "Ottoman Chamber of Deputies" and the dates 1332 (1914) on the left and 1335 (1917) on the right.  There is only one class, consisting of a sash badge and breast star.

Ribbon: A sash of half red, half white.

 
Order of Ertugrul (Ertugrul Nishani)

Ertugrul was the leader of the nomadic Turkish tribe that settled in the Western end of Asia minor and were the antecedents of the Ottoman Turks.   His son, Osman I, established the dynasty that would be named after him: the Osmanli, or Ottoman dynasty.  This order was established during the reign of Abdulhamid II, in an apparent attempt to emphasize the hereditary link between the Sultan and his distant ancestors who founded the nation.  

This order wasto be a single-class order, worn on a gold collar.  It was never awarded, and it appears that no examples were ever struck, although statutes for the award exist.

 
Order of Agricultural Merit (Ziraat Liyakat Nishani)

This order, like the Order of Excellence and Order of Ertugrul, appears to have never been awarded.