The 572nd anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul on May 29, 1453, by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, who altered the course of world history, marked the end of one era and the beginning of another, is being celebrated.
In a message shared on his social media, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated: “Blessed is the 572nd anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul, one of the greatest epics in our history. I pay tribute with mercy, gratitude, and respect to Fatih Sultan Mehmet Han and his army, who closed one era and opened a new one by gifting this victory to our nation.”
Accompanying his message, Erdoğan included an image illustrating the conquest, featuring the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad: “Istanbul will surely be conquered. How excellent is the commander who conquers it, and how excellent is the army that conquers it.”
Distinguished by his intellectual personality, military genius and statesmanship, Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the seventh sultan of the Ottoman Empire, endowed Istanbul with numerous historical monuments.
One of history’s great leaders, Mehmed II, who ruled for 30 years and earned the praise of the Prophet Muhammad, carried out numerous conquests beyond Istanbul, including in Serbia, the Morea, Trebizond, Wallachia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania and Crimea.
Fatih Sultan Mehmet, remembered as “the sultan who closed one age and opened another,” swiftly revived Istanbul through reconstruction and resettlement efforts after its conquest.
Immediately after capturing the city on May 29, 1453, Fatih invited scholars and craftsmen, both Muslim and non-Muslim, from different parts of the Ottoman Empire to revitalize Istanbul’s commercial and social life.
Following the conquest, major construction, repair and settlement works were rapidly undertaken along the shoreline stretching from Bahçekapı, the Eminönü-Unkapanı Golden Horn axis, to Eyüp Sultan, all within the city walls.
Rumeli Fortress, built before the conquest to control the Bosporus, became the first structure erected under Fatih’s rule in the city.
Among the first architectural structures built in Istanbul were the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, the Old Palace in Beyazıt, the Fatih Mosque and Complex built by Architect Atik Sinan on the site of the former Patriarchate and Imperial Tomb, the Tiled Pavilion in Gülhane Park, the Rum Mehmet Pasha Mosque in Üsküdar, Topkapı Palace and the cannon foundry in Tophane, which lent its name to the district.
Numerous buildings bearing the names of prominent statesmen of the era, such as Mahmut Pasha, Murad Pasha, Davud Pasha and Gedik Ahmet Pasha, were also constructed in major neighborhoods of the city.
According to various sources, 167 mosques were built in Istanbul following the conquest. These early Ottoman-era mosques and mescits (small mosques), which conferred a distinctly Turkish-Islamic identity on the city, largely survive to this day.
Originally a church for 916 years, Hagia Sophia drew the most attention among the churches and monasteries converted into mosques after the conquest. Serving as a mosque for 482 years, it was fortified during the Ottoman period with additions such as minarets by the great architect Sinan.
As one of the most significant enduring symbols of the conquest, Hagia Sophia served as a museum for 86 years following a 1934 decision. By presidential decree signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it was returned to mosque status and reopened for worship with the Friday prayer on July 24, 2020. Today, the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque continues to welcome both worshippers and local and international visitors as the emblem of the conquest.
Commissioned in 1459 by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the Eyüp Sultan Complex became Istanbul’s first imperial mosque after the conquest.
The complex included the Eyüp Sultan Mausoleum, mosque, madrasa (religious school), imaret (soup kitchen), sebil (public fountain) and hamam (bathhouse). Following serious damage in the 1766 earthquake, the mosque was initially repaired and then completely rebuilt, reopening in 1800.
Located in one of the city's oldest residential districts, the Fatih Mosque and Complex in the Fatih district center became the first large-scale imperial complex of Ottoman Istanbul. Commissioned by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the mosque was damaged by earthquakes in 1509, 1557 and 1761 and was reconstructed during the reign of Sultan Mustafa III, reopening for worship in 1771.
The complex included a library, hospital (darüşşifa), cemetery (hazire), clock room (muvakkithane), bathhouse, tomb, soup kitchen, stables and hospice, as well as eight major madrassas, eight subsidiary madrassas (Tetimme), a primary school (mektep) and a Quranic recitation school (darülkurra).
The Mahmut Pasha and Murad Pasha complexes also stand out as significant constructions from the Fatih era.
The Mahmut Pasha Complex, begun in 1462 and completed in 1471, featured a mosque, tomb, double bathhouse, inn (han), madrassa, soup kitchen, primary school and court. A fountain and public water dispensary were added later. Today, the mosque, tomb, parts of the inn and bathhouse, and the madrasa classroom survive.
Only the mosque remains from the Murad Pasha Complex, located at the intersection of Vatan and Millet avenues. The mosque, madrassa, soup kitchen and bathhouse were completed by Grand Vizier Mesih Pasha in 1478.
After Hagia Sophia, Fatih ordered the restoration of the Pantokrator Monastery in Zeyrek, repurposing its rooms into madrassas.
These schools, considered the first educational institutions of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, laid the foundation for Istanbul University and began functioning in 1453.
The Ayasofya Madrassa’s first head instructor was Fatih’s teacher, Molla Hüsrev. Over the centuries, the madrassa underwent numerous architectural changes and was eventually demolished in 1934. On April 15, 2022, the madrassas were rebuilt in line with their original architecture by the General Directorate of Foundations under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and were inaugurated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. They were then assigned to Fatih Sultan Mehmet Foundation University.
Another madrassa from Fatih’s reign is the Mahmut Pasha Madrassa, located to the east of the Mahmut Pasha Mosque. Only one classroom remains today.
After the conquest, Fatih Sultan Mehmet restored the piers, merchants’ shops and ports along the Golden Horn.
To revitalize commerce, the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı or Bedesten) was constructed in 1456. It featured 140 shops known at the time as rooms or vaults under 15 domes and accessible through four gates. By the late 15th century, the bazaar housed 641 shops, including 76 jewelers, 50 clothiers and tailors, 44 cap makers, and 66 boot and shoe makers.
Built in the Turkish bazaar tradition, the core of the Grand Bazaar was formed by the current Cevahir and Sandal Bedestens, which were constructed a few years apart during Fatih’s reign.
The Galata Bedesten (Fatih Market), located in Galata, was the largest commercial structure of its time and was built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet to generate revenue for the Hagia Sophia Foundation.
Known as the Fatih Market, the bedesten originally featured 20 domes. It evolved into its current form and now serves as a hardware market (Hırdavatçılar Çarşısı).
