Lütf-ü Celil saw action during the first weeks of the Russo-Turkish War in 1877, where she operated on the Danube to try to prevent Russian forces from crossing the river.

[1][2] Lütf-ü Celil, meaning "Divine Grace",[3] was ordered from the Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde shipyard in Bordeaux in 1867 and was laid down the following year.

During this period, the Ottoman fleet, under Hobart Pasha, remained largely inactive, with training confined to reading translated British instruction manuals.

[5] Lütf-ü Celil was assigned to the II Squadron of the Asiatic Fleet, along with her sister ship Hifz-ur Rahman and the ironclads Avnillah and Muin-i Zafer.

[6] Early in the ship's career, the Ottoman ironclad fleet was activated every summer for short cruises from the Golden Horn to the Bosporus to ensure their propulsion systems were in operable condition.

[9] At the start of the war, Lütf-ü Celil and Hifz-ur Rahman were assigned to the Danube Squadron,[6] where they were tasked with preventing Russian forces from crossing the river.