Sultan Mehmet II came to power at the age of 19 and accomplished what previous sultans could not - he seized Constantinople. The encirclement began with the construction of the Rumelihisarı fortress on the straights of the Bosphorus and stretching a chain across the water. The "throat cutter" fortress prevented supplies reaching the city.

Mehmet also breached the impenetrable Theodocian walls built by Thoedocius II which had protected the city for 1000 years. Mehmet relied on Orban, a Hungarian born cannon caster who built the world's largest cannon. In a strange twist of history, Orban first asked if the Byzantines wanted to buy his new cannon technology. But Emperor Constantine XI could not afford his services as the city's wealth disappeared with the Venetians. Orban left Constantinople and sold the newest military technology to Mehmet.

The Ottoman siege of Constantinople lasted for 53 days. Orban's cannon breached the walls and the Ottoman's entered the city on May 1453. The capital city of the Christian empire that Constantine founded 11 centuries before was now the capital of the Ottoman Muslim Empire. The Sultan Mehmet II is known as Mehmet the Conquerer.

The Modern Republic of Turkey

At the end of WWI the Ottoman Empire dissolved and a forward thinking leader named Atatürk emerged. Many view him as the father of present day Turkey and in 1923 he became the first president of the Republic of Turkey. Atatürk launched revolutionary social and political reforms in order to modernize Turkey which included the emancipation of women, the abolition of all Islamic institutions and the introduction of Western legal codes, dress and calendar. The Latin alphabet replaced Arabic script. Modern Turkey owes much to his vision and dedicated effort. Even today, visitors see many photos honoring him displayed throughout the city.

Current Political Situation

The prevailing Western attitude of President Erdogan is unfavorable. However, our guides offered a more nuanced view of the current president. His career began as Istanbul mayor (1994 -1998) and he modernized vital infrastructure systems including water distribution, mass transportation and trash pick up. As mayor he was arrested in the 1998 coup. Upon conviction by a military court, he served a 10 month prison sentence. He reappeared on the political stage with new found respect from the public. Erdogan's political ideology embraces Islam more openly and strongly than previous administrations. Erdogan founded the conservative AKP party in 2001, was elected Prime Minister in 2003 and President in 2014. An immense mosque with 6 minarets is presently under construction high atop an Istanbul hill. A common joke amongst the locals is the new mosque will be named, Erdogan Mosque. Historically, politicians do not receive this honor.

Currently, Erdogan leads the country in a less secular direction and not everyone approves. On July 15, 2016, an attempted coup to replace Erdogan took place. Turkey has a history of regime change evidenced by 4 previous coups since Atatürk's death in 1938. The transition from 7 centuries of rule by sultan to democratic republic occasionally meets with resistance. Sultans murdered their brothers to cement power. Are coups really that different?

The 2016 coup lasted only 48 hours with 241 people killed and over 2,194 injured. The Turkish government blames the attempt on Fethullah Gülen, "a cleric living in reclusive exile in Pennsylvania." Gülen is a former Erdogan ally. Several thousand suspected Gülen loyalists were jailed and Erdogan demanded US extradition of Gülen, however, the US refused. In addition, the former ally manages a worldwide network of private schools with 156 operating in the US. Edorgan's successful squaring of the coup increased his local support.

Freedom of speech is restricted as Turkish internet blocks access to Wikipedia or Imgur apparently due to negative stories regarding the current administration. Here are reports of journalists being jailed in Turkey for writing stories critical of Erdogan.

Final Thoughts

For thousands of years people have inhabited the enormous area called (depending on the era) Istanbul/Constantinople/Byzantium. It occupies space on the continents of Asia and Europe and served as the capital of Christian and Muslim empires in addition to being the seat of power for emperors and sultans. Turkey shares it's border with Iraq, Iran, Syria, Armenia, Georgia, Greece and Bulgaria. It is a secular republic with a population of 95% Muslims. There have been 4 successful military coups since 1960. Perhaps the best single word to describe Istanbul is ... complex.

Minarets embellishing 2000 mosques fill the city skyline and 5 times each day the muezzin recite the adhan or call to prayer over loud speaker. Many women are covered. As you pass the thousand shops in the Grand Bazaar you notice only men working.

Western values like change and innovation and materialism appear to clash with Turkish values such as strict gender roles, respect of tradition, priority to family and group as well as devotion to religious life. In our discussions with Enis and Özlem we contemplated these differences. We all agreed the West places priority on the individual more than the group. They observed the marketing of our corporations and the design goals of social media are intended to keep the West in a continuous state of "want." However, both guides used smartphones and new technology.