560 years ago :29th of May 1453- 29th of May 2013

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   560 years ago :29th of May 1453- 29th of May 2013
THE CONQUEST OF ISTANBUL

*THIS DAY IN HISTORY 
*The Conquest of Istanbul 
*Date: The 29^th of May 1453 
*Place: Istanbul , Ottoman Turkey 
*Elapsed Time: Day for Day: 560 Years 
*Main historic Figure: Sultan Mohamed Fatih.                            

            It will be worth recalling that the city of Istanbul or Constantinople
 as it was known before the Conquest was sieged several times in History
 by different nations such as the Persians, Greeks ,Romans , Avars, Bulgarians ,Russians and Latins who have tried in vain to conquer this strategic city. 

 The Muslim Arabs sieged the city seven times but were not successful, 
followed by another seven sieges during the Ottoman Empire as recounted 
in Ottoman history from the Sultan Yildirim Bayazid in 1391 AD until the
 seventh and final siege that was carried out under the command of 
Mehmet II or Mohamed Al Fatih as he is historically known. 

            Mohamed Al Fatih was born on the 29^th of March 1432 in Edirne , so he was exactly 21 years & two months old the day of the conquest; he was the son of Sultan Murad II. His mother was Huma Hatun. He was a tall, strong and muscular man. Mohamed Al Fatih was a statesman
 and a military
 leader. 

 He was also interested in literature, fine arts and monumental 
architecture. He was educated by the famous scholar Aksemseddin, 
furthermore Mohamed II spoke seven languages fluently, and adding to his
 worthy tribute is the famous portrait of him by Gentile Bellini. 

            For Mohamed Al Fatih, the conquest of Byzantium
 had a special significance as the Ottomans had spread on both 
continents, in Europe they had reached to Danube; the capital had been 
moved to Edirne in Europe , and therefore the obstacles that prevented 
the unism of the lands on the two continents had to be removed. 

 Mohamed Al Fatih thoroughly prepared plans for the conquest and in 
order to keep the straits of the Bosphorous safe and to cut out any help
 that may reach Byzantium  , he built a tower on the European  side just
 opposite the one on the Anatolian side , in parallel to the D day attack ships and canons were built in Gelibolu. 

               Realizing that unless the Golden Horn
 was sieged the city would not fail and in trying to enter the Golden 
Horn, the big chains that closed the golden horn prevented the Ottoman 
ships from going in , so all efforts to break the chains were in vain , 
here came a very unique warfare tactic that is still the subject of Army
 strategic Analysts , as Mohamed Al Fatih ordered that the ships 
numbered 72 are to be carried by cows and balanced by hundreds of 
Soldiers via ropes and  slid on wheels, and  be brought into the Golden 
Horn by way
 of land , hence on the
 afternoon of the
 22^nd of April 1453 ,the ships were inside the well protected Byzantine bay !!! 

            Such high profile military tactic created panic among the Byzantine army
 and were just dumbfounded and horrified when they saw Ottoman galleys 
moving down on the hills, for sure it was a deep moral blow to the 
Constantinople defenders as it has weakened the defense of the land 
fortresses. 

 The Teacher of Mohamed Al Fatih, Molla Husrev reminded the Young Sultan
 of the Words of The Beloved Prophet Mohamed (P.B.U.H): 

“Constantinople
 will definitely be conquered, that Commander who conquers Byzantium is a
 Noble conqueror and his Soldiers are Noble Soldiers.” 

 Such driving force words significantly encouraged Mohamed Al Fatih and 
gave him a tremendous boost as well as to his Brave Soldiers and on the 
29^th
 of May 1453 Al Fatih gave the order to attack, the Ottoman army 
launched its final assault accompanied by Commemoration of Almighty 
Allah “Takbir” and beats of drums, meanwhile the Young Ottoman Soldier 
“Ulubatli Hassan” who first erected the Ottoman
 flag on
 Byzantine land fortress was
 Martyred , towards noon the Young Sultan entered the city on a white 
horse the people of Constantinople were applauding and the Ottoman 
troops were  praying and praising Allah for such a promised Victory !!! 

 The conquest of Istanbul has had such a great Historical impact on the 
Ottoman Empire and the Muslim World to the degree that some Historians 
demarcate the end of the Middle Ages
 with the city’s Conquest and it has enabled the Ottoman Muslims to take
 dynamic roles in shaping international politics much to the  European 
Christendom’s  chagrin. 

 As for this unique model and Charismatic Young Sultan Al Fatih, who 
ruled the Ottoman Empire for 30 years and joined 25 campaigns himself. 
He was a very strict statesman, a very brave soldier and above all a 
God- Fearing Man. He took place in front of his army in the wars and he 
encouraged his soldiers in different situations, showing them how to 
serve faithfully Islam and the Ummah, the Sultan had died on the 3^rd of May 1481 at the age of 49. He was buried in "Fatih Turbesi" (tomb), near the Mosque of Fatih in Istanbul , May Almighty God
 have Mercy on his soul and make the Great Heaven his dwelling.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQejGUwz4Bg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqQ6h-Xdwmo&feature=related