Portrait of Mehmed the Conqueror made by Italian painter Gentile Bellini in 1479

Mehmed the Conqueror (30 March 1432 – 3 May 1481), or Mehmed II was an Ottoman Turkish sultan who ruled first for a short time from August 1444 to September 1446, and later from February 1451 to May 1481. At the age of 21, he conquered Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) and brought an end to the Eastern Roman Empire. Mehmed continued his conquests in Anatolia with its reunification and in Southeast Europe as far west as Bosnia, Thanks to him, the Bosnians became Muslims. Mehmed, introduced his head in Constantinople after he killed Vlad the Impaler. Mehmed is considered a hero in modern-day Turkey and parts of the wider Muslim world. Among other things, Istanbul's Fatih district, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and Fatih Mosque are named after him.

Quotes

• True art is to create a magnificent city and fill the hearts of its people with happiness.

(From his introduction to the Fatih Mosque Foundation Charter)

• Tell the your emperor that where my power has reached, not even his dreams can reach!^[1]

(While Constantinople was besieged, Mehmed's response to the Byzantine ambassador)

• We are not afraid of the owl, we are the hawks.^[2]

• Hey Constantinople! Either I take you, or you take me!^[3]

(During conquest of Constantinople)

• In order to see the boundaries of the probabilities, we need to try impossible.^[4]

(When he said that the ships would pass by land)

• We do not conquer lands, we conquer hearts.^[5]

• If even a single hair of my beard learned of my secret, I would cut my beard from the root.^[6]

• One night, I will suddenly add your kingdom to my empire.^[7]

• If you cut a branch out of my forests, I'd cut your head off!^[8]

• To turn away from the enemy is cowardice. Misfortune is the fate of the enemy.^[9]

(When he learned that the Crusaders had come toward him)

• The Christian land has lost his sword and shields.^[10]

(He said this after the death of Iskender bey who fought against the Ottomans)

• I declare to the whole world, the Bosnians are under protection. No one can disturb these people nor their churches, nor harm them. Nobody in the world will touch these people and not harm them.^[11]

• We Turks are faithful Muslims.^[12]

• Just as there is only one sun in the sky, ideally there should be one state and one religion in the world.^[13]

• If you are the sultan, be at the head of our army in this difficult day for our state. However, if I am the sultan, I order you to come and command my armies immediately!

(From the letter in which he called his father to the war that broke out after his father, Sultan Murad II, left the throne to him and retreated to Manisa. He was only 12 years old at this time.)

• Even I accepted that the rituals and rituals of the people of Galata should continue in the same manner as they have always been.^[14]

• Let Genoese merchants travel and trade freely. We will not take their children to join the Janissary army. We will never use force against those who do not accept our religion.^[15]

• Cover the Christian mosaics with plaster so that believers will not be disturbed. But do not destroy this masterpiece.

(To the architects who tried to remove the mosaics in Hagia Sophia)

• Doctors, why did you kill me?^[16]

(Last words)

• I am astonished that the Italians treat me with hostility and incite the Greeks against me, even though we are of the same origin as the Italians and, like them, I have the right to avenge the blood of Hector on the Greeks.^[17]

• These troubles are for Allah. We have the sword of Islam in our hands. If we did not endure this hardship, it would not be worthy to call us ghazis (warriors).^[18]

References