Fortress of Europe

Rumeli Hisarı, also known as the Fortress of Europe, was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 as his first step in the conquest of Constantinople. Situated at the narrowest point on the Bosphorus, the fortress controlled a major Byzantine supply route from the Black Sea to the north, and to the Marmara Sea to the south, which led to the Mediterranean. This strategic planning gave Mehmet the Conqueror the placement he needed to cut off any and all ships going throughout the straight, which today is the busiest straight in the world. It is said that Mehmet was so eager to complete the build, he himself, a Sultan, even went down and laid bricks with his men. His hard work paid off when the entire fortress was completed in only 4 months, an architectural phenomenon for how many bricks there are and how high it is situated. The locals soon gave this stronghold the name of Boğazkesen, which means “Throat-cutter” or “Straight-cutter.” Across the Bosphorus was the Anadolu Hisarı, Fortress of Asia, built straight across the river on the Asian side by Sultan Beyazıt I in the 13th century. With this supreme lock on the flow of goods and passage through the area under the control of the Ottomans, it did not take long for Mehmet the Conqueror to successfully take the city. Which he did on May 29th, 1453. I only know this because it was celebrated while we were here, and it was the 555 anniversary of the inwasion. However, this day was not celebrated widely until the last ten years because this is considered an Islamist holiday. According to the Turkish Daily News in an article they published on May 30, 2008, “The celebrations symbolize Istanbul as an Islamist city, experts claim. Islamist segments of society try to create a myth around the year 1453 and around Fatih Sultan Mehmet, depicting the sultan and the period as primarily Islamist. They also want to construct a Fatih Sultan Mehmet, or Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, figure almost equal to that of Atatürk,” said Aktar, a Turkish Daily News columnist. Nilüfer Narlı, an academic at Bahçeşehir University argues that,” though the conquest has significance in Turkish history in general, the idea of Istanbul becoming a Muslim city is particularly important to Islamist segments of the population.” Speaking with our Professor gave me a good idea of how Turkey views this day. She said that this is only becoming a popular day of celebration right now because of the Islamist political party which rules currently. Although it is not comparable to any holiday in the United States, we did look out the window and watch a beautiful firework display from across the river. Some mosques throughout the city proudly displayed lights celebrating advertising the celebration of this day, which stretched across from one Minaret to another. Even though this day is only celebrated in Istanbul, I’m not sure how I feel about it. On one hand I think it should be celebrated, and proudly at that. This is the day that the Ottoman heritage began in this region, which lasted until 1923. However, celebrating this day can also create a bigger rift in the religion sector of politics within the city. Some believe that the celebration of this day reinstates the Islamic religion that the Ottoman Empire founded, when actually that is not true. The Ottoman Empire accepted religions of all kinds, from all over the world. During WWII Istanbul was a refuge for hundreds of Germany’s most prominent and intellectual Jewish citizens. This city has always been open to anyone, of any race, and of any religion. Even though some may label this is an Islamist holiday, I think all people of Istanbul should respect this day as a holiday, showing that the strife between Islam and Secularism can be tolerated within the same city. This is their heritage, whether they like it or not, and it is a heritage they should be proud of.