2020-06-17 Wed

Mehmed II: also known as Mehmed the conqueror was a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire twice, first for a short time from 1444 to 1446, and later from 1451 to 1481. Mehmed is considered a hero in modern-day Turkey and parts of the wider Muslim world.

Mehmed II was born on 30th March 1432, in Edline, then the capital of the Ottoman State. He devoted himself to strengthening the Ottoman navy and made preparations for an attack on Constantinople. At the age of 21, he conquered Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) and brought an end to the Eastern Roman Empire. After the takeover, Mehmed moved his capital from Edirne to Constantinople. He extended the Ottoman control from southeastern Europe to the Danube and from Anatolia to the Euphrates River.

The Night Attack at Targovi?te was a battle fought between forces of Vlad III Basarab the Impaler Prince of Wallachia and Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire on Thursday, June 17, 1462.

During the reign, he issued gold and silver coins in the denomination of Akce, Sultani, and Altun. The Altun omitted the religious formulas that had been standard until then, and instead gave the names and titles of the Sultan together with the date and the mint.

Image Source: Heritage Auctions