Mehmed the Conqueror

Turkish political leaders and citizens commemorated on Wednesday the 571st anniversary of the fall of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) to Ottoman Turk forces on May 29 in 1453.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the conquest as a historic triumph in a post on social media, describing it as "one of the magnificent victories in world history."

The General Directorate of Highways (KGM) has announced the increased bridge and highway toll prices that will be valid in the new year.

Türkiye on May 29 has marked the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul on its 570th anniversary with a series of events in the Turkish metropole.

Istanbul was besieged 28 times throughout history before its conquest in 1453 by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrated the conversion of Istanbul's Hagia Sophia into a mosque by reciting a poem that refers to himself as a modern reincarnation of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror who captured what was the world's largest cathedral in 1453.

The Istanbul Municipality has brought the medallion depicting portraits of Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II made by Italian artist Costanza de Ferrara in 1481 from the U.K. to the country.

The municipality earlier purchased the medallion for 38,000 pounds at an auction in London.

A rare portrait of Suleiman I, the longest-reigning Ottoman sultan known as the Magnificent Suleiman, has been put up on display for Turkish people after it was donated to the Istanbul Municipality by an anonymous citizen who bought the artwork at an auction in London.

After gaining the legal rights over the lands of a castle upon a court's ruling, a family who claims to be the descendants of an Ottoman pasha has initiated a new legal action to determine the ownership of another castle in the neighboring province of Gümüşhane.

The Turkish president on May 29 shared a message celebrating the 568th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "I congratulate the 568th anniversary of the Conquest of Istanbul, one of the most glorious victories of our history," on Twitter.

The restoration works being carried out using the most advanced techniques in Istanbul's landmark Hagia Sophia have set a clear example for the world to see a work of exceptional precision, keeping the cultural heritage of different beliefs and civilizations intact, the provincial director of culture and tourism has said.

Within the scope of a restoration project by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the 500-year-old shrine of Asude Hatun in Istanbul's Fatih district will be revived.