Music How Zildjian Cymbals Made It From the Ottoman Empire to Now Sep 10, 2016 Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Linkedin ReddIt Email Print In 1622, Avedis Zildjian, an Armenian metalworker in Turkey, melted a top-secret combination of metals to create the perfect cymbal. Nearly 400 years later, Zildjian’s descendants are one of the most well-known cymbal sellers in the world today.