Person in the Tomb
Mehmed the Conqueror was born in Edirne in 1432 and was the fourth son of Sultan Murad II. He ascended the throne twice, first between 1444 and 1446 and then between 1451 and 1481.
On 29 May 1453, at the age of only 21, Sultan Mehmed II conquered Istanbul after a siege lasting 54 days, brought an end to the Eastern Roman Empire, and declared himself “Kayser-i Rûm,” or Roman Emperor.
With the conquest of Istanbul, the Middle Ages came to an end and the Early Modern Age began. He was not only a soldier, but also an intellectual ruler who knew Arabic, Persian, Greek, and Latin, and who was deeply interested in science and the arts.
He conquered, in succession, Amasra, Sinop, Trabzon, Konya, Karaman, Eastern Anatolia, Serbia, the Morea Peninsula, Wallachia, Bosnia, Moldavia, and Albania.
Believing that there should be only one empire in the world, Mehmed the Conqueror settled the Orthodox Patriarch, the Armenian Patriarch, and the Jewish Chief Rabbi in the capital, strengthening his ideal of universal sovereignty by combining Turkish, Iranian, Islamic, and Roman traditions of rulership.
For the leading scholars of the age — Molla Hüsrev, Molla Gürani, Molla Yegan, Hızır Bey, and Hocazade Muslihuddin — he converted eight churches into madrasas, opened the Hagia Sophia Madrasa, and built the famous Sahn-ı Seman Madrasas around his own mosque. He brought Bellini, the most famous painter of the period, to Istanbul; had Ptolemy’s book translated into Arabic; commissioned Amiroutzes to draw a world map; and visited the Acropolis during a journey to Athens.
While setting out on his Italian campaign, he died in Gebze on 3 May 1481 at the age of only 49. In accordance with his will, he was buried in the complex he had built in his own name in Istanbul.
About the Mausoleum
- Year Built
- Commissioned By
- Architect
- Location
Featured Highlights
The origin of the structure goes back to the Fatih Complex, of which it forms part, built in 1463 by Architect Atik Sinan.
The first tomb built for the body of Mehmed the Conqueror, who was buried in its present location on the qibla side of the mosque he had commissioned, was severely damaged in the Great Istanbul Earthquake of 1766.
It acquired its present appearance after the renovation carried out during the reign of Sultan Mustafa III.
The tomb, which was affected by the Cibali fire of 1782, was repaired again by Sultan Abdülhamid I.
In 1865, the decorations of the tomb were renewed by Sultan Abdülaziz.
It acquired its present form after extensive restorations in 1952 and 2018.
Because the structure was rebuilt after the 1766 earthquake by Mehmet Tahir Ağa, chief architect during the reign of Sultan Mustafa III, it bears the influence of the Baroque architectural style of the period.
The walls of the tomb contain Quranic verses and panels of prayers.
Its exterior is plain, while the interior is restrained yet elegant.
Beside the tomb is the Fatih Mosque Cemetery, where many Ottoman statesmen and important figures are buried.
It is visited by state officials and the public especially on the anniversaries of the conquest of Istanbul, on 29 May.
The Fatih Mosque located immediately beside it is the first great Ottoman complex built in his name.
