Enderun School - History

History

The growth of Ottoman Empire and the expansion of its civilization over three continents, starting from 1299, are attributed to the rule of committed and effective sultans. However, the able statesmen helped the Empire prolong its existence more than four centuries after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. The selection and education of statesmen became critical to the Empire in the 15th century because Ottoman state affairs had evolved from those of a small nation into that of an empire covering more than 2,000,000 square miles. This expansion rapidly diversified the empire creating a highly multicultural nation with the assimilation of new cultures that blended into Ottoman life. A vital component of Mehmet II's goal to revive the Roman Empire was to establish a special school to select the most able youngsters within the Empire and to educate them to become the members of the ruling class. Thus, Mehmet II improved the existing palace school founded by his father, Murat II (1421–1451), and established the Enderun Academy (Enderun) within his private residence at Topkapı Palace in Istanbul. Enderun School was an institution that contributed to the rise of The Ottoman Empire, and a factor in the staying power of the Empire, which survived for more than four centuries after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453.

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