Mehmed II

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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[edit]

  • Tell the your emperor; Where my power has reached, Emperor's dreams can not 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, need to try impossible.[4]
( When he said that the ships would pass by land )
  • We do not conquer the lands, we conquer the hearts.[5]
  • If even a single hair of my beard learns my secret, I will cut my beard from the root.[6]
  • One night comes suddenly, I will 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]
( It is believed that Skanderbeg said on his death )
  • 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]
  1. Conquest and Doomsday
  2. Aşıkpaşoğlu History (Prepared: Atsız), 79
  3. Conquest and Doomsday
  4. Ahmet Akgündüz - Mehmed's tolerance
  5. Aşıkpaşoğlu History (Prepared: Atsız), 154
  6. Freely, John (The Grand Turk)
  7. Freely, John (The Grand Turk)
  8. Aşıkpaşaoğlu History
  9. Ahmet Akgündüz - Mehmed's tolerance
  10. Alphonse de Lamartine (Ottoman History)
  11. Alphonse de Lamartine (Ottoman History)
  12. Halil İnalcık, Devlet-i'Aliyye I.Cilt, Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları