Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
A meeting was held within the luxurious Topkapı Palace, which is a gigantic architectural marvel that had been the centre of administration and royal power since the time Constantinople was conquered in 1459 by Sultan Mehmed II, Mehmed the Conqueror.
Within the palace, a few soldiers were adding a layer of tinted paper to a massive map sprawling right at the entrance. Mehmed, looking at this scene from the balcony, clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. This was the first time in the last 50 years that the map showed the reduction of territory of the Ottoman Empire, making him feel the illusion that the majestic palace he had adored since childhood had lost its vitality, and the ancestors' portraits hanging on the wall he respected were mocking his incompetence. This feeling made him enraged.
