Theodosian Walls being attacked by Muhammad al-Fatih All this made the city of Constantinople impregnable and withstood landside sieges for eight hundred years. The outer wall had a patrol track, the middle wall provided a firing platform to shoot down on opposing forces attacking the first wall and the inner wall was five meters thick and 12 metres high making it the biggest of the three walls (Cartwright and Cartwright, 2017). This means that there were three walls stacked in front of each other. These walls were a triple row of fortifications. ‘Greek Fire’ – ancient Byzantium weapon used to destroy their enemies Theodosian Walls of Constantinople Constantinople was also fortified by the Theodosian Walls. The Byzantines had a secret weapon known as ‘Greek Fire’, a highly flammable liquid that was used in naval engagements where it would instantaneously set ships ablaze and it could not be put out by water. The Byzantine capital was positioned by the sea making it tremendously difficult to attack and its naval fleet didn’t make things any easier for the opposing forces. Even Muslims of the past tried and failed to do so. Muhammad al-Fatih’s teacher Muhammad Shams al-Din bin Hamzah ‘Greek Fire’ – Ancient Byzantium weapon used to destroy their enemies Conquering Constantinople no easy task for Muhammad, as Constantinople had withstood many sieges and attacks over the centuries because of its formidable defences. The seed had been planted and Muhammad al-Fatih dedicated his youth to prepare for what came to be the most important achievement in his life, defeating the Byzantine Empire and conquering Constantinople. He also inspired Muhammad to do the impossible, to conquer what had been the most powerful city in the world at that time, that is Constantinople. One notable teacher/mentor that played a major role in Mehmed’s life was Muhammad Shams al-Din bin Hamzah who was al-Fatih’s tutor and advisor influencing him from a young age. Muhammad al-Fatih’s teacher Muhammad Shams al-Din bin Hamzah During his youth, he was heavily influenced by fellow academics and their work in Islamic epistemology. He mastered seven languages Turkish, Arabic, Latin, Greek, Serbian, Hebrew and Persian. Muhammad al-Fatih was a devout Muslim and learned under many teachers about the Islamic faith which moulded his mindset. Muhammad al-Fatih’s father wanted to make sure that his son learned from of the best scholars at the time.
Muhammad al-Fatih showed signs of leadership right from a young age, gaining leadership skills and experience from governing cities like Amasya. Portrait: Muhammad al-Fatih The life of Muhammad Al-Fatih Known to the west as Mehmed II, he was born on 30th March 1432 in the northwestern province of Edrine, Muhammad al-Fatih was the son of Sultan Murad II (1404-51) and was an Ottoman Sultan who ruled from 1451 to 1481. What a wonderful leader will her leader be, and what a wonderful army will that army be!” Muhammad Al Fatih – The Sultan who did the impossible “Verily you shall conquer Constantinople.