One of the most popular Crimean Tatar leaders of all time

Noman Çelebicihan

1885 - 1918

«On the Crimean peninsula grow colorful roses, lilies, tulips. And each of these elegant flowers has its own special beauty, its own special delicate aroma. These roses, these flowers are the peoples living in Crimea: Tatars, Russians, Armenians, Jews, Germans and others. The goal of Kurultay is to bring them together, to make a beautiful and elegant bouquet of them, to found a real civilized Switzerland on the beautiful island of Crimea»

Life Path

• 1885 - Born in the village of Büyük Sonaq, in Chonhar region of Crimea near the present-day city of Dzhankoy.
• 1908 - Attended Vefa Lisesi (High School) and later Law School in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire.
• 1909 - Founded "Vatan" (Homeland) an underground political organization whose members were Crimean Tatar students in Turkey: Cafer Seydamet Qırımer , Abibulla Odabash Temircan .
• 1910 - Founded one of the first organizations "Yaş Tatar Yazıcılar Cıyını" (Young Tatar Writers' Association) with his friend Abibulla Odabash Temircan and "Society of Crimean Tatar Students" (existed before 1917). Also, in Turkey, he published his first literary works such as Qarılğaçlar Duası (Swallows' Prayer), Altın Yarıq (Golden Light) and Şiirler Cönkü (Collection of Poems). He met Ismail Gasprinsky twice during his staying in Turkey.
• 1912 - Returned to Crimea.
• 1913 - Attended the law faculty of the St. Petersburg Institute of Psychoneurology.
• March of 1917 - Elected as chairman of the I All-Crimean Muslim Congress, at which the Provisional Crimean-Muslim Executive Committee was established. At the same time, he became the first mufti of the Crimean Muslims.
  The results of the activities of the board of the Musical Executive Committee headed by N. Çelebicihan:
  • creation of spiritual and land administrations;
  • reforming national educational institutions;
  • revitalization of the provincial government;
  • opening of national publications (newspaper "Millet" ("Nation") in the Crimean Tatar language and "Voice of the Tatars" - in Russian).
• 26 November 1917 - Elected as the first president of the young Crimean Republic
• 23 February 1918 - Firing squad of the Black Sea Fleet executed him and threw his body into the sea.

Noman Çelebicihan known for having written the poem "Ant etkenmen" ("I've pledged"), which became the Crimean Tatar national anthem.