Türkiye marks 569th anniversary of the Ottoman Empire's conquest of Istanbul

Türkiye on Sunday is commemorating the 569th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul, hailing it as the momentous start of a new era.

Istanbul, a cosmopolitan city, was besieged 28 times throughout history before its conquest in 1453 by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II.

In recognition of his victory, the 21-year-old ruler was thereafter known as Mehmed the Conqueror.

In a prophecy about Istanbul's conquest by a Muslim ruler, the Muslim Prophet Muhammad said: “Istanbul will surely be conquered; what a good commander is that conqueror, what a good soldier is that conqueror.”

On the night of April 21-22, 67 small and medium ships were moved to the Golden Horn – the primary inlet of the Turkish Straits – by soldiers and animals through the bed of the Kabatas Stream, which poured into the Tophane Port.

The first walls of the city were built in 657 B.C. Roman Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211) demolished these walls during the city's invasion and built a wall that ended near Hagia Sophia, including the Sarayburnu and later Sultan Ahmet Square.

During the reign of Constantinus (306-337), the city – from the Marmara coast to the Golden Horn – was surrounded by city walls for the third time.