hezÃ¢rfen ahmed Ãelebi was a legendary ottoman aviator of 17th-century constantinople (present day istanbul), purported in the writings of traveler evliya Ãelebi to have achieved sustained unpowered flight. ==alleged flight== the 17th century writings of evliyÃ¢ Ãelebi relate this story of hezÃ¢rfen ahmed Ãelebi, circa 1630â1632:  the title "hezÃ¢rfen" (, hazÄr + , fann) given by evliyÃ¢ Ãelebi to ahmet Ãelebi, means "a thousand sciences"&#160;(polymath). ==single report== in 1648, john wilkins cites busbecq, the austrian ambassador to constantinople in 1554â1562, as recording that "a turk in constantinople" attempted to fly.wilkins, john. mathematicall magick or the wonders that may be performed by mechanicall geometry. in two books. concerning mechanicall powers and motions, london 1648, 204; also see a reprint of the same book in the mathematical and philosophical works of john wilkins to which is prefixed the author's life and an account of his works, 1802, vol. ii, 201 however, if accurate, this citation refers to an event nearly a century prior to the exploits reported by evliyÃ¢ Ãelebi. evliyÃ¢ Ãelebi's account of the exploits of hezÃ¢rfen ahmet Ãelebi is only three sentences long (of a ten volume work), but the story has great currency in turkey. other than evliyÃ¢ Ãelebi's report, there are no other contemporary references to the events. == site details ==  measurements of the alleged launch height and flight distance are as follows: *the galata tower sits  above sea level, the peak of its conical dome  above ground level and  above sea level.official galata tower web site *doÄancÄ±lar square is about  ab
17th-century_Ottoman_people