»These are the narratives of bygone years«: Conquest of a Fortress as a Source of Legitimacy
Journal: Medieval Worlds
Year: 2021

In 1502 or 1503 KemÄl paÅa-zÄde (d. 1534), also known as Ibn-i KemÄl, the future ÅeyhâÃ¼l-Ä°slam (chief Muslim judge) under SulaymÄn the Magnificent, described the world of Byzantium which the Ottomans had conquered. There, he reproduced the realia of the Â»fortress pastÂ« of the Ottomans. Ibn-i KemÄl described Byzantium as a commonwealth of fortresses, each headed by a tekvur (Â»emperorÂ«), which was at odds with historical accuracy. This pointed to the period of the second half of the