Türk eyeri, binicinin at üzerindeki hâkimiyetini artıran yüksek ön-arka eyer kaşları ve geniş oturağı ile karakteristik bir şekle sahiptir. Tarihi kaynaklar Türk eyerinin, binicinin sosyoekonomik statüsünü göstermesinin yanı sıra bir takım sembolik anlamlar taşıdığına da işaret etmektedir. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nu ziyaret eden Avrupalı seyyahlar arasında Bertrandon de la Brocquière, Pierre Belon, Ogier Ghislen de Busbecq, Nicolas de Nicolay, Marca Antonio Pigafetta ve Philippe du Fresne-Canaye seyahatname ve gezi raporlarında Türk eyerinden bahsetmiştir. Hans Eworth, Melchior Lorck ve Jean Victor Adam’ın da aralarında bulunduğu birçok Avrupalı ressam ise eserlerinde Türk eyerine yer vermiştir. Tıp terminolojisinde Türk eyerinin Latince karşılığı olarak kullanılan “sella turcica” sfenoid kemiğin üst kısmında yer alan ve içerisine hipofiz bezinin oturduğu anatomik yapıyı ifade etmektedir. Retrospektif özellikteki bu makale, Türk eyerinin kültürel tarihini atçılık kaynaklarına ek olarak Osmanlı Devleti’ni ziyaret eden Avrupalı seyyahların tuttuğu kayıtlar ve on altıncı - on sekizinci yüzyıllar arasında yayınlanmış tıp kitaplarına dayanarak geniş bir perspektifte ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Sella turcica terimi, anatomi nomenklatürüne İtalyan anatomi ekolünün altın çağı olarak adlandırılan dönemde, ilk kez anatomist ve hekim Adrianus Spigelius’un (1578-1625) De Humani Corporis Fabrica (1627) başlıklı ünlü eseri ile girmiştir. Bu durum on altıncı - on sekizinci yüzyıllar arasında Avrupa’da yaygınlık kazanmış olan Turquerie (Türk yaşam tarzı, sanat ve kültürünün taklit edildiği moda) akımının öncülerinden biri olarak kabul edilebilir.

INTRODUCTION: Saddle was first developed around the eighth century BC by the nomads of the Eurasian Steppe, who lived largely on horseback. The Russian archeologist Sergei Rudenko’s research in 1951 on the frozen burial graves of the central Asian nomads at Pazyryk, Siberia, produced actual examples of two types of saddles from the fifth century BC—the simpler consisting merely of two felt cushions designed to lie on each side of the horse’s backbone and the latter having padded wooden frames to act as a pommel and cantle. These saddles were used on top of large, gaily decorated saddle clothes and secured by a breast band, girth, and cupper; however, they lacked stirrups. The earliest depiction of the Turkish saddle, however, was found on a sixth- or seventh-century stone engraving during the excavations of burial sites in Kudryga in Eastern Altais from the period of the Turkic kaganate of the Gokturks. This type remained the same in central Asia and was brought to Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) in the eleventh century by nomadic Turkish tribes. The Turkish saddle is characteristic in shape with its broader seat, high pommel and cantle which hold the rider securely. It does not lie on the back of the horse with its full weight, but rests on it with the weight distributed on both sides. It does not require strong strapping because of its lightness and relatively small size, consequently it decreases the burden of the horse, and makes quick movement possible, providing warriors with balance, movement, and maneuvering capabilities. Historical records note that the Turkish saddle has additional functions and offers certain advantages: it supports archery or dressage; allows one to hang a steel club, lasso, or saddlebag on the front pummel; it also supplies soldiers with pillows to sleep on. During the Ottoman Empire, horses with gorgeously ornamented Turkish saddles made of gold or silver were the preferred gifts. Saddles were also used to indicate the social and financial status of the bearer or to convey some possible symbolic meanings. OBJECTIVE: This article aims to present a cultural history of the Turkish saddle from a broad perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, equestrian resources together with the accounts provided by European travelers visiting the Ottoman domains and medical textbooks printed in different languages between sixteenth to eighteenth centuries were examined. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: European travelers who visited the Ottoman lands on diplomatic, scholarly, and commercial enterprises produced a