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Secondary sourcePainting1590s

Sultan Muchemet Chan Engraving

Johann Theodor de Bry · 1590s

A 1590s engraved portrait of Mehmed II from a German book illustrating Ottoman rulers, by Johann Theodor de Bry.

A later European engraved portrait presenting Mehmed II as part of a catalogue of famous Ottoman rulers.

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Engraved portrait in profile of a turbaned man with a full beard and fur-collared robe, set in a circular medallion within an ornate border. Inscribed above in Latin, below in Latin and Greek, and with the name Sultan Muchemet Chan around the circle.
Sultan Muchemet Chan (Mehmed II), engraving by Johann Theodor de Bry, 1590s.

About this source

What it is

This engraving shows Mehmed II in profile within a decorated medallion, inscribed with Latin and Greek text and the name "Sultan Muchemet Chan." It was made in the 1590s by the engraver Johann Theodor de Bry for a book illustrating the true likenesses of Ottoman and Persian rulers.

Why it matters

The engraving is part of a European printed tradition that tried to catalogue and visualise foreign rulers for readers who would never see them in person. It shows the continuing European fascination with, and partial misunderstanding of, Ottoman history more than a century after Mehmed's death.

Look closer

  • Why would a European book want to include

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Mehmed II on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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