The
Ottoman Empire used anthems since its foundation in the late 13th century, but did not use a specific imperial or
national anthem until the 19th century. During the reign of
Mahmud II, when the military and imperial band were re-organized along Western lines,
Giuseppe Donizetti was invited to head the process. Donizetti Pasha, as he was known in the Ottoman Empire, composed the first Western-style imperial anthem, the
Mahmudiye Marsi.