The Literature on the Conquest of Istanbul
The history of Istanbul, as the capital of three major empires namely Roman, Byzantine and Ottomans, is full of countless events. The city, which has seen many riots, fires, natural disasters, was besieged many times by different nations throughout history, but thanks to the strong line of defence, it held still for centuries. Indeed, sieges of the strong and big armies failed, but the city was conquered by the young Turkish Sultan Mehmed II. Istanbul was not only the capital city for the two empires, but it also constituted the religious center for Christianity and Islam, Undoubtly the most important event for the city was its conquest by Sultan Mehmed II and the process of Islamization. The conquest is a definite turning point for the world and Turkish histories in terms of causes and consequences. Many works and numerous articles have been written in the Western and Islamic worlds, starting from the period of the conquest to the present day. Also many monographs and articles have been written on Mehmed II (the Conquerer). In this study, we try to analyze Turkish resources, Turkish translations of Byzantine-Latin chronicles and independent reserach containing information on the conquest of Istanbul. In addition, a bibliography of Turkish studies on the conquest will be provided in the end.
FAHAMEDDİN BAŞAR
