Ottoman Tugh standard bearer

The Ottoman Empire is renowned for two iconic battle standards: the Horsehair Banner (Tuğ) and the Sacred Banner of Islam (Sancak-ı Şerif). The Horsehair Banner symbolized the supreme authority of Ottoman commanders. Together these standards bore witness to both the empire's zenith of power and its eventual decline. During the 1683 Siege of Vienna, Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha brought both banners to the battlefield. However, his forces were decisively defeated by the legendary charge of Polish Winged Hussars. This disastrous defeat forced him to abandon the sacred Horsehair Banner on the battlefield, escaping only with the Islamic holy standard in retreat.