Mehmed II died on 3 May 1481 in Gebze, aged 49. The seventh sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed II first came to the throne in 1444 when his father abdicated, and ruled again from 1451. On 29 May 1453 his forces captured Constantinople after a siege of almost two months, ending the Byzantine Empire, and he made the city, later Istanbul, his capital. He earned the name Fatih, the Conqueror. He extended Ottoman rule over Serbia, Bosnia, Greece and the northern coast of the Black Sea, and had the Topkapı Palace built. A patron of scholars and artists, including the Venetian painter Gentile Bellini, he also codified laws. He died in 1481 while on campaign.
Before and after
- from 1479 to 1700Hispanic Monarchy
- 1 June 1479Founding of University of Copenhagen
- 1480Birth of Ferdinand Magellan
- 1481Construction of Blue Mosque
- 3 May 1481Death of Mehmed II
- 14 February 1483Birth of Babur
- 6 April 1483Birth of Raphael
- 10 November 1483Birth of Martin Luther
- 1 January 1484Birth of Huldrych Zwingli
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- from 6 April 1453 to 29 May 1453Fall of Constantinople
- from 22 May 1455 to 16 June 1487Wars of the Roses
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 15th century.