Muhammad al-Fatih: The liberator of Constantinople

Modern Istanbul was the capital city of empires like Roman-Byzantian (330-1204), Latin (1204-1261), Byzantian (1261-1453), and Ottoman (1453-1922) for about 1600 years. In the age of Roman- Byzantium, this city, known as Constantinople, played a key role in disseminating Christendom. It was in AD 1453, that the fate of this city became changed. Because, in that year, Constantinople, where the prominent companion Abu Ayyoub Al-Ansari was buried, reached the hands of Muhammed Ibn Murad, also known as Muhammed-al-Fatih and Mehmet the Second. Every Ottoman ruler was talented differently. The 7th Ottoman ruler Mehmet II was talented in politics, military services, diplomacy, science, and literature. Sultan Mehmet II was born in 1432. He was the son of Sultan Murad II and Princess Esfandiari-Hyuma Khatun. He learned much from prominent scholars and grew as an expert. His father wanted to see his son on the throne before his death. So, he resigned for his son. However, due to some big crusader attacks, he was compelled to return to the throne. In 1451, after the death of Sultan Murad II, Mehmet II retook the throne majestically.

The conquest of Constantinople was Mehmet’s biggest dream since his childhood. It was because of the famous statement of prophet Muhammed (s) that a big army would conquer it under a big Muslim leader. Prophet told this in a circle of his companions including Abu Ayyoub Al-Ansari and others. When Sultan Mehmet expressed his desire to immerse himself in Sufi Tariqa under his Sheikh Akk Shamshudeen, the Sheikh told him “You are the leader who will conquer Constantinople”. From that onwards he had a desire to conquer Constantinople. After his return to power, he dropped everything and started to plan for the conquest of Constantinople.

He reorganized the army and built a new fort opposite the existing fort in the Gulf of Bosporus to defend and expel the ships of auxiliary troops from Europe. Then he fetched up Orban, the renowned arms manufacturer in Byzantine territory, and started to make the world’s largest cannon and also developed the navy. After 53 days of big blockade and siege, Constantinople came to the hands of Muslims on 29th May 1453. He reorganized and rebuilt the collapsed parts of the city by the battles and blockade. He made it as the capital city of Islamic caliphate and named it as Istanbul. It was in this period that the Hagia Sofia, which is located in Istanbul, was changed to a Masjid (it was not extortion but Mehmet approached clergies to get it by promising enough money and they were quite satisfied). 

The sultan built a mosque near the tomb of Abu Ayyoub al-Ansari, which is one of the biggest holy places in modern Istanbul. He conquered also the Serbian places (Peloponnese, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Albania) except Belgrade. The Wallachia and Moldavia continued as an autonomous principality by agreeing the loyalty to the dominance of the Ottoman Empire. Soon after that, the remaining parts of the Byzantine Empire which was ruled by Pondas in Trabzon and the Beylic of Karamanis also became under the Ottoman Empire.       

In 1461, when Muhammed II moved forward to Erzincan, its ruler Usun Hasan Bay sent his old mother to the Sultan with some gifts. The Sultan respectfully welcomed her. According to her request, the Sultan made peace with Usun Hasan Bay and decided to leave for the conquest of Trabzon through the Balkan Mountains. The paths and mountains to Trabzon were lofty and the roads were very rough. Then Sultan started to walk on his legs. Seeing this, Usun Hasan Bay’s mother asked: “Son, this movement to Trabzon is making you tired?”. Sultan replied: “Mother! I have Islam in my hands. If I will not endure these difficulties, then what is the meaning of calling me ALP (servant of God), “Tomorrow” in the presence of God, I will have to be ashamed”. Then they crossed the mountains and conquered Trabzon.

            Sultan Mehmet fought against 20 states and conquered 17 cities and more than 200 forts. He was injured in the knee and forehead during the blockade against Belgrade. In his era, the Ottoman Empire surpassed Venice in naval power and became one of the best navies in the world. Even the Europeans also agreed he was their eastern Roman emperor as he had the thrones of Crimea, Bosnia, Wallachia, Moldavia, Albania, etc. The sultan died in 1481 while he was marching to Rhodus which was the world’s largest Christian center. Venice was concerned about the Sultan’s marching towards Italy. They thought that the presence of Turkey in this peninsula was dangerous to their dominance and so they tried to prevent it. Due to this, there is an allegation that the Venetian spies who came as physicians entered the palace and poisoned the Sultan.

When Mehmet reached the Serbian border by winning Rumelia, Brankovic, the king of Serb Orthodoxy got stuck between the Ottomans and Hungarians. Suddenly Brankovic sent two different messengers to both Sultan Mehmet and Hungarian king John Hunyadi and he wanted to know that if Serbia kneeled to you, what would you do to Serbia’s religious institutions? The Hungarian King said that he would destroy every Orthodox church and will rebuild Catholic churches. But Sultan Mehmet II replied, “I will do nothing to the churches but build a new Muslim Mosque near them so everyone can freely follow their religion”. Then Serbia came under the Ottoman rule.

The Sultan was also a poet who was an expert in Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Serbian, Italian, Latin, and Greek languages. A poetry collection called “Diwan” has been published with his pen name Avni. It is said that he had enough knowledge to research mathematics and ballistics. He always wore the turban called Musavvis which was the normal cloth of the Ottoman rulers.