Dr Filiz Barın Akman of Ankara Social Sciences University and academic writer Beyazıt Akman have discovered a Latin epic of nearly 5,000 lines, written by an Italian poet during the Renaissance in honour of Fatih Sultan Mehmet.
The work, titled Emir: The Life and Conquests of the Turkish Emperor Mehmet (Amyris, de vita et gestis Mahometi Turcorum imperatoris), was written in 1475 by the poet and historian Gian Mario Filelfo.
A portrait of Fatih in literature
Beyazıt Akman said that they had encountered references to both the work and its author during their research into perceptions of Turks and Islam in the West, but had not found a study that examined the work in full. He noted that the book’s cultural significance was comparable to that of Bellini’s portrait of Fatih Sultan Mehmet.
A story that began with Fatih’s generosity
After the conquest of Istanbul, Fatih released a war captive at the request of the captive’s relative without demanding ransom. The act deeply affected the Venetian merchant Othman Lillo Ferducci of Ancona, who later asked his friend Filelfo to write an epic poem about the Sultan’s achievements and conquests as an expression of gratitude.
Translation and historical context
The work is planned to be presented to readers with Turkish and English translations, detailed literary readings and historical context. It is intended to be published by Kopernik Publishing under the title Emir: Fatih’s Five-Century Epic.