On the occasion of the 571st anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople, Recep Tayyip Erdogan prefaces a three-volume book entitled “In the Footsteps of the Holy Call: The Conquest of Constantinople, Muhammad the Conqueror and the Hagia Sophia Mosque in the Turkish Press”, which was published from the Directorate of Communication of the Turkish presidency.

In his introductory note to the book “The conquest of Istanbul in the Turkish press”the Turkish president writes that Muhammad the Conqueror, who conquered Constantinople, honoring the prophet Muhammad’s message and making the dream of seven centuries of Muslims come true, left a precious legacy.

It supports that the determination and perseverance of the Conqueror set an example to transform his legacy, “the beloved Istanbul”, in one of the most important financial, commercial, scientific, cultural and artistic centers of the world. “Now, we continue our struggle for our nation according to the vision of the Turkish Century and continue our way with determination to implement new plans. Our dreams are for Turkey,” says Erdogan.

In another part of the introductory note, the Turkish president underlines the following: “For us, conquest is not only about conquest and victory, it is also a symbol of rebirth, building, revitalization and faith. Muhammad the Conqueror, who set out to conquer hearts and not lands, conquered not only a city but also hearts with his tolerance and just rule and turned Constantinople into a center of culture, art and science. It was not a piece of land that was conquered that day, but millions of hearts. The faith, determination and perseverance of Muhammad the Conqueror and his blessed soldiers during the conquest of Constantinople inspire us to serve our nation and take Turkey to 2053 (the 600th anniversary of the Conquest). ) and 2071 (i.e. the 1,000-year anniversary of the Battle of Mazigert)”.

In the introduction to the volume “The Hagia Sophia Mosque in the Turkish Press”, the Turkish president writes that “restoring Hagia Sophia to its original identity is not only breaking the chains on the doors of this holy place, but also breaking the bonds on hearts and feet.”

He also notes that Hagia Sophia, one of the most important symbols of the historical aspect of Istanbul in the heart of Turkey, has undergone many transformations over the centuries and bears the traces of many cultures, while adding that after the fall it became one of the symbolic sanctuaries of the Islamic world and has always held an important place in the heart of the Turkish nation.

In this volume, the history of Hagia Sophia is presented and its transformation into a mosque in July 2020 marks a big step for the revival of the historical and cultural heritage of Turkey and the Islamic world.

The three volumes were prepared by scanning archives and articles of important writers, poets and academics in newspapers and magazines from 1922 to the present day.