The Turkish Medal for the Siege of Silistria (or Silistre Madalyası in Turkish) is a campaign medal issued to the handful of British personnel who were present during the period of the Crimean War (28 March 1854 to 30 March 1856).
During the battle, Russian forces besieged the Ottoman fortress of Silistra. If the Russians were to make a success of their campaign on the Danube, they needed to capture the stronghold of Silistria, but the successful resistance mounted by the Turks during the course of a two month siege (April-June 1854) was unexpected by the Russians. While initially successful, the Russians were forced after several weeks to abandon the siege and retreat due to political pressure. The failure of the siege signaled a general withdrawal by Russia from the Principalities, which was largely completed by September 1854.
The Medal for the Siege of Silistria Design
The medal is made in silver and measures 36.5 mm.
