Türkiye marks conquest of Istanbul on 570th anniversary

ISTANBUL

Türkiye on May 29 has marked the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul on its 570th anniversary with a series of events in the Turkish metropole.

Istanbul was besieged 28 times throughout history before its conquest in 1453 by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II.

The 21-year-old ruler managed to conquer the city in 1453, marking a new era for the Ottoman State and ending the reign of the Western Roman Empire, also known as Byzantine, which ruled the region for more than 1,000 years.

The conquest leveled up the state into an empire that would rule regions in multiple continents for centuries to come.

Some historical narratives, including Turkish and some European discourse, evaluated the conquest as the landmark event that closed the Middle Age.

Every year, a series of events are held to commemorate the landmark victory in Turkish history in the metropole.

A morning prayer was held in Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque to commemorate the conquest, with the participation of Ali Erbaş, the head of Türkiye’s top religious body Diyanet, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, and Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya.

Light shows are scheduled in the Maiden’s Tower, while it also planned to reflect the story of the conquest in some points in the city with mapping technology.

The Istanbul Municipality also held a well-attended event in the Maltepe district.

Conquest of Istanbul and Panorama 1453 Historical Museum in the city also organized a special event aiming to bring to light the conquest for students.

Students visited the museum, which presented a three-dimensional illustration of the conquest of Istanbul, and then they expressed their feelings and opinions with stories, essays or paintings.

High school students from all districts of Istanbul applied for the contest in the form of essays.