The Time When the Turks Set Foot in Italy
Ottoman invasion of Otranto and the idea of Mehmed the Conqueror to restore the Roman Empire
The legacy of the Roman Empire, perhaps the most powerful and glorious empire in human history, turned into a legend that was tried to be used by many states for centuries and many wars were fought for this cause and many empires were founded and destroyed. After the Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476 as a result of the attacks of the Germanic tribes, this heritage was preserved by Byzantium until 1453 as the Eastern Roman Empire, and later passed to the Turks with the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed II.
Seeing himself as “Kayser-i Rûm” (Caesar of the Roman Empire), Mehmed set his eyes on Rome, the first capital of the old empire, and set this place as the greatest goal throughout his 30 years reign. If he had lived, he would have come very close to this goal. In this article, let’s examine how Mehmed the Conqueror was close to Rome with the conquest of Otranto and how the Christian world mythicized this invasion.
Mehmed the Conqueror and His Intelligence
Mehmed II, who was smart and mischievous in his childhood, was not only educated in madrasah during his preparation for the throne but also, thanks to the…
