Mehmed I

Mehmed I was the fourth son of Sultan Bayezid I and Devlet Hatun. He was born in Bursa in 1386 or 1387. He was sent to gain experience as a provincial governor in Rûm Eyalet (central northern Anatolia) in 1399. In 1402, his father was defeated and captured by Timur at the Battle of Ankara, and Mehmed was rescued by Bayezid Pasha, who took him to Amasya. Mehmed later made Bayezid Pasha his grand vizier. Mehmed fought with his brothers over the control of the Ottoman realm in the civil war known as the Ottoman Interregnum. He managed to defeat his rivals and reunify the Ottoman territories by 1413. He became the sultan of the Ottoman Empire and ruled until his death in 1421. He was called "The Restorer" because he reestablished central authority in Anatolia and expanded the Ottoman presence in Europe. He conquered Wallachia in 1415 and fought against Venice in a naval war. He also patronized arts and culture and built the Green Mosque and the Green Tomb in Bursa. He died of gout in 1421 and was succeeded by his son Murad II. He was buried in his mausoleum in Bursa.