Editing Mehmed II (section)

==Death and legacy==
[[File:İstanbul 5908.jpg|thumb|The [[Türbe|tomb]] of Mehmed II (d. 1481) in [[Fatih]], [[Istanbul]]]]
[[File:1000 TL reverse.jpg|thumb|Mehmed II on the backside of 1,000 [[Turkish lira]] dated 1986.]]

In 1481 Mehmed marched with the Ottoman army, but upon reaching [[Maltepe, Istanbul]], he became ill. He was just beginning new campaigns to capture [[Rhodes]] and [[southern Italy]], however according to some historians his next voyage was planned to overthrow the [[Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt]] and to capture Egypt and claim the [[caliphate]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.guncelkaynak.com/kimdir/memlukler-2/|title=Memlûkler|date=6 January 2015|work=Güncel Kaynağın Merkezi|access-date=9 April 2017|language=tr-TR|archive-date=13 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113062747/https://www.guncelkaynak.com/kimdir/memlukler-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref> But after some days he died, on 3 May 1481, at the age of forty-nine, and was buried in his ''[[türbe]]'' near the [[Fatih Mosque, Istanbul|Fatih Mosque]] complex.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.islamiclandmarks.com/turkey/fatih-mosque|title=Fatih Mosque|date=26 June 2014|website=Islamic Landmarks|language=en-GB|access-date=25 February 2020|archive-date=25 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225151311/https://www.islamiclandmarks.com/turkey/fatih-mosque|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the historian Colin Heywood, "there is substantial circumstantial evidence that Mehmed was poisoned, possibly at the behest of his eldest son and successor, Bayezid."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Heywood |first=Colin |editor-last=Ágoston |editor-first=Gábor |editor2=Bruce Masters |title=Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire |chapter=Mehmed II |date=2009 |page=368 }}</ref>

The news of Mehmed's death caused great rejoicing in Europe; church bells were rung, and celebrations held. The news was proclaimed in Venice thus: "La Grande Aquila è morta!" ('The Great Eagle is dead!')<ref>''The Grand Turk'': John Freely, p. 180, 2009</ref><ref>''Minorities and the destruction of the Ottoman Empire'', Salâhi Ramadan Sonyel, p. 14, 1993</ref>

Mehmed II is recognized as the first sultan to codify criminal and constitutional law, long before [[Suleiman the Magnificent]]; he thus established the classical image of the autocratic Ottoman sultan. Mehmed's thirty-year rule and numerous wars expanded the Ottoman Empire to include Constantinople, the Turkish kingdoms and territories of Asia Minor, Bosnia, Serbia, and Albania. Mehmed left behind an imposing reputation in both the Islamic and Christian worlds. According to historian [[Franz Babinger]], Mehmed was regarded as a bloodthirsty tyrant by the Christian world and by a part of his subjects.{{sfn|Babinger|1992|p=432}}

Istanbul's [[Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge]] (completed 1988), which crosses the Bosporus Straits, is named after him, and his name and picture appeared on the Turkish 1000 [[Turkish lira|lira]] note from 1986 to 1992.<ref>تاريخ الدولة العليّة العثمانية، تأليف: الأستاذ محمد فريد بك المحامي، تحقيق: الدكتور إحسان حقي، دار النفائس، الطبعة العاشرة: 1427 هـ – 2006 م، صفحة:178–177 {{ISBN|9953-18-084-9}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Citation is not in English making difficult to verify; there must be a better English source available|date=April 2017}}<ref>[http://www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/eng/ Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615060512/http://www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/eng/ |date=15 June 2009 }}. Banknote Museum: 7. Emission Group – One Thousand Turkish Lira – [http://www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/banknote/E7/268.htm I. Series] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616144640/http://www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/banknote/E7/268.htm |date=16 June 2011 }} & [http://www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/banknote/E7/270.htm II. Series] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616144818/http://www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/banknote/E7/270.htm |date=16 June 2011 }}. – Retrieved on 20 April 2009.</ref>