ABSTRACT
Mehmed II, considered the true founder of the Ottoman Empire, consolidated Turkish Ottoman rule of the eastern Mediterranean and established the political and cultural character of an empire that was to last until the twentieth century. Mehmed fought against Venice from 1463 to 1479, continued the conquest of Greece, and conquered the Crimea and Albania. Mehmed established the Ottoman Turks as leaders within the Muslim world, a role that expanded under future sultans who had the strength and vision to build on his success. Mehmed consolidated the authority of the sultanate, turning Constantinople into the capital of the empire, and creating a magnificent palace and mosque complex. Mehmed's capture of Constantinople put an end to the Byzantine Empire, the last relic of the Roman Empire and Hellenic culture. However, the Ottoman policy of religious toleration permitted the survival of the Eastern Orthodox church.
