The Conquest of Constantinople | Well-Known Hadiths | Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed II

 The conquest of Constantinople by the Turks on May 29, 1453, is more than just the ordinary fall of a city. The conquest was a turning point both in Turkish and Islamic history and the history of the world.

There were two powerful states in the world during the rise of Islam: the Persian Empire ruling Iran and Iraq, and the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire reigning in Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and the Balkans. The Persian Empire was already abolished by Muslims at the time of Umar bin Khattab, the second caliph of Islam. The empire's territories were also conquered. Syria and Egypt were the first two Byzantine regions conquered by Muslims.

Referred as "Costantiniyya" by Arabs, Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, became an ideal of Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad's well-known hadiths (prophetic tradition) symbolize this ideal: "Verily you shall conquer Constantinople. What a wonderful leader will he be, and what a wonderful army will that army be!" and "The first army that goes on an expedition to Constantinople will be forgiven."

The conquest of Constantinople was vouchsafed to the 7th Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed II. The 21-year old and genius emperor prepared siege plans day and night. He invented a rapid cooling cannon, the largest by far at the time, and ordered to build a fortress on the European side of the Bosporus in a short period of time. He gathered intelligence around the city.
Istanbul not only situates in a strategically important location but also has a very beautiful landscape. As Emperor of France Napoleon said, "If the earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital."
Preparation for the conquest of Istanbul started only one year ahead. Huge canons that were necessary for the siege were molded. In 1452, Rumeli Castle on the European side was constructed to control the Bosphorus. A mighty fleet of 16 galleys was formed. The number of soldiers was doubled. The supply routes to Byzantine were taken under control. An agreement was made with Genoese to keep Galata impartial during the war. In April 1453, the first Ottoman frontier forces were seen in front of Istanbul.

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