Fatih Sultan Mehmed Tomb
About the Person:
- Mehmed the Conqueror was on the Ottoman throne between 1451 and 1481 and ended the Eastern Roman Empire by conquering Istanbul at the age of 21.
- With the conquest of Istanbul, the Middle Ages ended and the New Age began. He was not only a soldier, but also an intellectual ruler who knew Arabic, Persian, Greek and Latin and was fond of science and art.
- He died in Gebze (estimated) while on a campaign to Italy. According to his will, he was buried near the mosque and social complex he had built in his name in Istanbul.
About the Tomb:
Construction Year: 1481
Ordered by: Bayezid II
Architect: Unknown
Prominent Features:
- The tomb has a square plan and is covered with a large dome sitting on an octagonal drum.
- Inside, the coffin of Mehmed the Conqueror is visible.
- The coffin is surrounded by a silver grid.
- There are Quranic verses and prayer panels on the tomb walls.
- Its exterior is simple; its interior is modest but elegant.
- The courtyard also contains many historical graves.
- There is a window and a prayer area in front of the tomb; prayers are said from here.
- It is visited by state officials and the public, especially on the anniversaries of the conquest of Istanbul (29 May).
- The Fatih Mosque, right next to it, is the first large Ottoman social complex built in his name.
