Artwork Replica Mehmed II enters Constantinople through the Adrianople Gate on his way to the Hagia Sophia by Fausto Zonaro (1854-1929, Austria) | WahooArt.com

Fausto Zonaro (i) Fausto Zonaro was an 18th Century realist artist known for his depictions of the Ottoman Empire. Abdulhamid II commissioned the artist to produce paintings that depict the life of the 15th-century Ottoman sultan, Mehmed II. The painting Mehmed II, Entering To Constantinople shows the Sultan entering Constantinople after the Ottomans conquered Istanbul and marked an important turning point in world history. In the foreground, there are dead bodies that have been slain. The Sultan is shown entering on a horse, through an arched gate with his army. He looks fierce and calm as he stares at his new land. He had dreamt of conquering Constantinople since he was a young boy and when it was done, he said to his soldiers who were drunk with victory “Be satisfied with the booty and the captives; the buildings and city belong to me”