The intellectuals and educated segments of society have a responsibility to introduce heroes such as Fatih Sultan Mehmed Han to the public in their true light and hold them up as examples.
For this reason, the late Prof. Dr. Mahmud Es'ad Coşan wrote articles, gave speeches, organised symposiums, and recommended that such activities be carried out throughout the country in order to get to know and introduce our great ancestors. One of the personalities he gave the most attention to in his writings and speeches was Fatih Sultan Mehmed.
He consistently emphasised that Istanbul was not occupied but built with the conquest, and that the conquest marked the true establishment of the Ottoman Empire. Coşan emphasises that Fatih Sultan Mehmed and the conquest of Istanbul, which he gifted, were the fruits of this process. He states that to understand this, one must grasp the underlying mindset; many people fail to understand this reality, and therefore a significant portion of the history written on the subject falls short of explaining the matter. For this reason, he urges historians to write about the conquest of Istanbul in its true dimensions. He even states that he would like to accomplish this task if he had the time and opportunity.
‘At the heart of the conquest lies faith, determination, perseverance, patience, love, and the belief in the necessity of bringing humanity together with Islam, the religion of humanity. It lies in the determination to remove the symbols of disbelief and establish the pillars of faith.’
The ‘Hadith of Conquest,’ known as the prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad, plays a fundamental role in this event. Therefore, as a requirement of faith in the Prophet, the people and events that have shed light on humanity in his path must not be forgotten or allowed to be forgotten; these individuals and the actions they have taken must be illuminated and presented in their true form. In this way, idealistic generations will find positive examples for themselves.
The late Es'ad Coşan gave various speeches on the Conquest and Fatih with the feelings and thoughts mentioned above. This book has been prepared by transcribing those speeches into written language. The sources of the verses, hadiths, sayings of the wise, and poems mentioned in the speeches have been identified as far as possible and provided in footnotes. A bibliography and a detailed index have been added at the end to facilitate the work of researchers.
We strongly recommend reading this book to better understand the mentality that conquered Istanbul and Fatih Sultan Mehmed.
