Istanbul Cymbals

The Istanbul brand name was adopted by a cymbal works established by two cymbalsmiths, Mehmet Tamdeger and Agop Tomurcuk. These cymbals were first exported to the U.S.in 1984, first under the name "Zildjiler", and soon afterwards as "Istanbul". Both craftsmen signed each cymbal. Some of these cymbals are now collectors' items. Following Agop's death in 1997, the company split, with Mehmet forming his own company and making cymbals sold as Istanbul Mehmet, and Agop's sons Sarkis and Arman forming their own company and making cymbals sold as Istanbul Agop.