Conclusion: From the Minaret

From 330 AD to the modern era, the site of the Fatih Camii has played a critical role in the development of Istanbul. Throughout this history, however, the site has consistently referenced the past—as a memorial to deceased emperors, a physical representation of Ottoman conquest, and a living example of the cultural interplay that resulted from this conquest. All of the structures that have inhabited the site have been highly intentional statements, attempts to historicize the city’s long legacy. In this respect, the site exemplifies Nora’s conditions for lieux de memoire, as sites of self-conscious historical remembrance.