Istanbul — Where East Meets West
Suggest editThe Conquest of Constantinople
Istanbul (إسطنبول), originally Constantinople, was conquered by Sultan Mehmed II (Mehmed the Conqueror) on May 29, 1453 CE. The Prophet Muhammad had prophesied this conquest: 'You will certainly conquer Constantinople. What a wonderful army that army will be, and what a wonderful commander its commander will be' (Ahmad). Mehmed was 21 years old when he fulfilled this prophecy, ending the Byzantine Empire after over a millennium.
Capital of the Ottoman Caliphate
Istanbul served as the capital of the Ottoman Empire for nearly five centuries (1453-1922). Under Ottoman rule, the city became the seat of the Caliphate and one of the greatest Islamic capitals in history. The Ottomans transformed the Hagia Sophia into a mosque and built magnificent new mosques, including the Suleymaniye, the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed), and the Fatih Mosque. The city's skyline of domes and minarets remains iconic.
Center of Learning and Culture
Istanbul housed some of the greatest Islamic educational institutions. Madrasas attached to major mosques trained scholars, judges, and administrators. The Suleymaniye complex included a medical school, a hospital, a library, and a soup kitchen. Calligraphers, miniature painters, architects, and poets flourished under Ottoman patronage. Mimar Sinan, the greatest Ottoman architect, designed over 300 structures in and around the city.
Modern Istanbul
Today Istanbul straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus strait, symbolizing the bridge between civilizations. Its historical mosques, the Grand Bazaar, and the manuscript collections in the Topkapi Palace and Suleymaniye Library preserve a vast Islamic heritage. The city remains a hub for Islamic scholarship, publishing, and cultural production, with a population exceeding 15 million.