The Life of Science and Thought in the Period of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror

Abstract

The Ottoman Empire was one of the principalities established in Anatolia after the Mongol invasion. The principality embarked on a conquest movement in the border region to make room for Turkmen from the east. After becoming politically more potent, this process fought with both Byzantium and Anatolian principalities and gave importance to science, art, and education. As a result, it attracted the attention of scholars in the region in a short time. Because the Seljuks had left a great scientific heritage, it was only natural that this legacy would be passed on to the state that held political sovereignty. In time, the Ottoman Principality became the center of this heritage. With Mehmed the conqueror [Fatih], the state entered a new phase and claimed the heritage of the East and the West. This study will examine the impact of the new understanding that began with Fatih on Ottoman scientific thought and education. It will also try to reveal the influence of the Fatih complex on later madrasas and educational institutions. Our sources are the Fatih Foundation, and the studies based on it.