It was in 1618 in Constantinople, at a time when surnames were little or not used, that a certain Avedis discovered, while attempting to transform various metals into gold, a mixture of steel, copper, and bronze revealing astonishing sonic properties. Of course, the cymbal had been known since time immemorial, but the sound quality achieved by Avedis exceeded everything that had existed before.

The reputation of the craftsman then earned him a nickname, Zildjian, which means son of the cymbal maker (zil = cymbal, dji = maker, and ian = son of), because his father, Kerope, was a coppersmith at the Ottoman palace in Constantinople and also made cymbals.

In 1623, Sultan Murad IV authorized Avedis Zildjian to leave the palace to establish his own cymbal factory in the Samatya district of Constantinople. From then on, his activity was no longer limited to supplying the Ottoman military forces but also Greek and Armenian churches that used cymbals to glorify religious ceremonies.

Having since become a pioneer in cymbal crafts and exporting worldwide, Zildjian has earned an international reputation thanks to its expertise, the high quality of its products, and the variety of musical instruments it offers to drummers and percussionists. The company is now based in the USA following 20th-century emigration to escape wars.

With nearly four hundred years of existence, Zildjian is one of the oldest companies in the world and especially the world’s leading cymbal manufacturer. The brand owes its fame to its cymbals combining versatility, quality, and durability.