The first Ottoman Janissary (yeñiçeri, meaning "new soldier") troops were formed in the late 1300s by then Sultan (Kagan, meaning "sovereign") Murad I. Originally Christian boys taken as slaves and converted to Islam, these young men were sworn into service as both the bodyguards of the Sultan and the standing army of the Ottoman Empire. With their rigid discipline and unit cohesion, the Janissaries were a force to be feared for nearly 500 years, before being disbanded in 1826.
Established in 1999 and incorporated in 2004, the Janissary Barracks (Yeñiçeri Ocaği’) Re-enactment Group aims to:
The Janissary Barracks has been proudly associated with the Abbey Medieval Tournament since its founding in 1999.
The Janissary Barracks welcomes anyone who would like to know about the medieval Ottoman Empire, or would like to take place in its activities. Members meet weekly and practice archery, wrestling, music, dancing, cooking and other parts of the medieval Turkish culture.