Conquest 1453 (Fetih 1453)

Built around the story of Ulubatlı Hasan, Fetih 1453 (Conquest 1453) tells of the conquest of Istanbul in a Turkish historical epic and war film from 2012. Faruk Aksoy directed and produced it, and it opened on February 16, 2012, with screenings starting at 14:53. With a budget of about 18.2 million dollars it was billed as the most expensive Turkish film of its day; 300,000 people saw it on the first day, and within three weeks it was the most-watched film in Turkish history.

The story centers on the young Sultan Mehmed, back on the throne after the death of his father Murad II and determined to take Constantinople. Devrim Evin plays the sultan and İbrahim Çelikkol plays Ulubatlı Hasan, with Dilek Serbest as Era and Recep Aktuğ as Emperor Constantine; Sedat Mert, Raif Hikmet Çam and Erdoğan Aydemir also appear. Events run from the preparations to the siege beneath the walls.

Atilla Engin and İrfan Saruhan wrote the screenplay, with historians such as Feridun Emecen and Hülya Tezcan consulting. British composer Benjamin Wallfisch wrote the music. It played in Germany, the United States, France and many other countries. Critics said it glorified nationalism.