Economic Impact on the European WorldMehmed the Conqueror was a very important person in history. More specifically, he had a large impact on the European world. He had a large economic impact due to the Fall of Constantinople, which he led. The economic state of the Byzantine Empire prior to the Fall of Constaintinople was in a very bad state (Impact of the Fall of the Constantinople). This caused the city's population to fall to as few as 50,000 people. After the city was taken in 1453, the economy was revived in both Constantinople, and what is now Turkey (Impact of the Fall of the Constantinople). His Siege of Constantinople had an extreme impact on trade in the European region. It more specifically affected the Italian trade, and slowly diminished trade bases in the area (Impact of the Fall of the Constantinople). It also helped in turning the Mediterranean Sea into trade routes for the Turks. At this point, the Ottomans had control of the Byzantine Empire. This caused lots of nations' trade to be under Ottoman control (Impact of the Fall of the Constantinople). This had some positive effects. For example, parts of the Mediterranean sea flourished due to trade over long distances (Impact of the Fall of the Constantinople). The Fall of Constantinople was economically beneficial to the European World.
|
Religious Impact on the European WorldAlong with economic impacts, the fall of Constantinople had a huge impact on religion in the European world. At this time, Catholicism was the main religion in Europe (The Economist). The Conquest of Constantinople introduced Islam to the city when he claimed the different places of worship for the Islamic religion. As the Ottoman army broke through the doors, they barged into the morning service at Aya Sophia (The Economist). The worshippers there were either killed or taken, and many priests were killed at the altar. Mehmed then walked into the building after his soldiers and had an imam claim it for Islam (The Economist). Mehmed was careful to keep the city's other very important church, that of the Holy Apostiles, intact. He then handed it over to the Greek Orthodox patriarch (The Economist). Even through all this, eastern Christianity was preserved (The Economist). Overall, Mehmed's attack on Constantinople had a huge religious impact on the European world. Not only did he spread Islam, but he managed to introduce a multinational society.
|
Impact on UAE
Government
The Ottoman Empire had two different types of government structures. At one point, it was an Absolute Monarchy. Later on, it became a Constitutional Monarchy. What is now the UAE was largely influenced by the different powers within the Ottoman Empire including both European powers and Arabian powers. These two areas shared similar government structures, both following Monarchies. However, some of these places had Constitutional Monarchies, while others had Absolute Monarchies. When the Ottoman Empire fell, the states that comprised it became independent. Among these were many of the portions of what is now the UAE. These states carried the Ottoman traditions on to the formation of the UAE. These states believed in a monarchy. Some of them believed in an Absolute Monarchy, while others believed in a Constitutional Monarchy. The UAE is now a mix of an Absolute, Constitutional, and Despotic Monarchy. This is due to the Ottoman rule over Arabia. |
Architecture
The Ottomans had extensive skill in architecture. They mastered many techniques and building types that can be seen many places throughout the world today. Some of these techniques include building large inner spaces with large domes on top - achieving a great balance between inner space and outer space (Wikipedia). Islamic architecture was completely changed by the Ottomans from its original simple buildings with extensive decorations, to great buildings with vaults, domes, and columns (Wikipedia). Mosques changed from their dark, cramped chambers into practical, functional, and elegant buildings. These styles of architecture can be observed in the UAE today. Looking around, many of these same architectural features can be seen in lots of the buildings around the UAE, mainly the mosques and royal palaces. |