Mahomed al II-lea,
also known as Mehmed II, was a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire who is best known
for his conquest of Constantinople in 1453. This conquest was a turning point
in the history of the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire.
Mahomed was born
in 1432 in Edirne, a city in modern-day Turkey. He was the son of Murad II, who
was also a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. When Mahomed became Sultan in 1451, he
immediately began to prepare for an attack on Constantinople, which was then
the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
Mahomed's attack
on Constantinople began in April of 1453. He used a combination of tactics,
including cannons and siege towers, to breach the city's walls. The battle
lasted for over a month, and the defenders of the city, led by Emperor
Constantine XI, fought bravely but were ultimately defeated.
After the fall of
Constantinople, Mahomed declared himself the ruler of the Roman Empire, which
had been the name of the Byzantine Empire. He made the city the new capital of
the Ottoman Empire and renamed it Istanbul.
Mahomed's conquest
of Constantinople was a significant event in world history. It marked the end
of the Byzantine Empire, which had existed for over a thousand years, and the
beginning of the Ottoman Empire's expansion into Europe. It also helped to
spread Islam into the region.
Mahomed is
remembered as a skilled military commander and a shrewd politician. He is also
known for his cultural and intellectual interests, including his patronage of
the arts and his construction of several architectural marvels in Istanbul.
