An intellectual emperor: Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror

Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, who was commemorated on the 542nd anniversary of his passing on Wednesday, is among the greatest leaders of history as a military genius, great statesman, and intellectual personality. Conquering Istanbul at the age of 21, he personally led 25 expeditions during his sultanate. The sultan also expanded the lands of the Ottoman Empire from 880,000 square kilometers (around 340,000 square miles) to 2,214,000 sq km (854,830 sq mi). Mehmed II also had knowledge in many different disciplines such as mathematics, geography, astronomy, and physics. He wrote poems under the pen name 'Avni,' invited scientists to Istanbul, and took them under his protection. In 1432, Mehmed II, son of Sultan Murad II, was born in Edirne on March 30. He was sent to Manisa as a governor at the age of 11. Upon the death of his brother Alaeddin Ali Celebi, he became the sole heir to the Ottoman throne. He ascended to the throne at the age of 12, only to hand it over back to his father due to his young age. At the age of 19, he ascended to the throne after the death of his father. He took control of the situation in Anatolia and the Balkans and focused on the conquest of Istanbul. In 1453, he besieged Istanbul, which was ruled by the Byzantine Empire, for 54 days. He changed the course of the war by moving the ships from the land to the Golden Horn. Thanks to his conquest of Istanbul, he received the title of 'Conqueror.' With this conquest, the Middle Ages ended and the New Age started. The sultan turned the Hagia Sophia into a mosque as a symbol of the conquest. In 1461, he defeated the Greek Empire of Trebizond and made it history. He passed away on May 3, 1481 in Hunkar Cayiri, located in the modern-day northwestern Kocaeli province of Türkiye. His body was buried in his tomb at the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul.He passed away on May 3, 1481 in Hunkar Cayiri, located in the modern-day northwestern Kocaeli province of Türkiye.