Selenga stood on a hilltop.
Below her stretched a magnificent city. Domes. Walls. Water on both sides.
“This is Istanbul,” said the young man beside her. “In the year 1453. In just a few days, everything will change.”
“What will change?”
"This city's name. Its ruler. The pages of history itself."
Constantinople: A City Over a Thousand Years Old
“What is the city called right now?” Selenga asked.
“Constantinople. Capital of the Byzantine Empire. It has stood here for over a thousand years. Its walls are incredibly strong. Protected by sea and land.”
Selenga looked at the massive walls.
Thick stone. Tall towers. Spaced at intervals.
“Who would attack such a place?”
“The Ottoman army. Led by a young sultan. Only 21 years old.”
“Just 21?”
“Twenty-one-year-old Fatih Sultan Mehmed. And he has spent years preparing to take this city.”
The Cannons That Changed Everything
“How will he break through those walls?” Selenga wondered.
“With enormous cannons. Bigger than anything the world has ever seen.”
“What are cannons?”
“They ignite gunpowder to launch huge stone or metal balls. They can destroy walls.”
“Who made these cannons?”
"A Hungarian engineer named Urban. He first went to the Byzantines, but they couldn't pay him. Then he came to the Ottomans. Fatih not only paid him well but gave him all the iron he needed. Urban cast giant cannons."
Selenga thought about this.
One engineer. Two sides. He chose one. And history changed.
The Siege Begins
Days passed in her vision.
One morning, the cannon fire started.
Selenga watched from a distance.
Weeks later — a breach appeared in the wall.
Ottoman soldiers poured into the city.
Inside the Hagia Sophia
Selenga stood before the Hagia Sophia.
Massive. Truly enormous. For centuries, this building had been a church.
Fatih Sultan Mehmed entered.
Selenga followed behind him.
The dome soared impossibly high. Light streamed through the windows.
Fatih walked slowly. He faced the direction of prayer.
He knelt. He took soil in his hands. He poured it over his head.
“Why did he do that?” Selenga whispered.
“Humility,” the young man replied. "He won a great victory. But to stay humble, to remember that 'I too came from earth.'"
A City Transforms, Not Destroyed
Istanbul changed.
But it was not destroyed.
Old buildings were preserved. People continued to live. People of different faiths remained in the city.
"Why didn't Fatih tear everything down?" Selenga asked.
“Because he inherited a city. He inherited its culture. Destroying is easy. Preserving is wise.”
Selenga looked at the domed skyline.
Centuries would pass. This city would always remain.
What We Learn From This Story
1. In 1453, the 21-year-old Fatih Sultan Mehmed conquered Constantinople and made it Istanbul, the Ottoman capital — historians mark this as the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Era.
2. Massive cannons played a crucial role in the conquest. These cannons were cast by Hungarian engineer Urban, who chose to work for the Ottomans.
3. When Fatih entered the Hagia Sophia, he showed humility by kneeling and touching soil to his forehead — a gesture of respect and remembrance.
4. After the conquest, many of the city's historic buildings were preserved, and different communities continued to live together.
5. Istanbul has remained Turkey's most important city from that day to this.
Questions to Discuss as a Family
1. What would it feel like to carry such enormous responsibility at just 21 years old?
2. Why is touching soil to your forehead considered a sign of humility?
3. Is it harder to conquer a city or to preserve it after conquest?