Sultan Mehmed II (Muhammad al-Fatih, 'the Conqueror') (835-886 AH / 1432-1481 CE) was the Ottoman Sultan who conquered Constantinople on 20 Jumada al-Awwal 857 AH (29 May 1453 CE), fulfilling the famous prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet said: 'You will certainly conquer Constantinople. How excellent will be the commander who conquers it, and how excellent his army!' (Musnad Ahmad). He was a patron of Islamic scholarship, spoke multiple languages, and transformed Constantinople (renamed Istanbul) into a thriving centre of Islamic civilisation.