Historic epic poem dedicated to Mehmed the Conqueror published in Turkish, English

ANKARA, TURKIYE - MARCH 11: Discovered by Turkish researchers, a centuries-old epic poem written to honor Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, commonly knowns as Mehmed the Conqueror, has been published in Turkish and English for the first time. The long epic poem consists of four books and around 5,000 verses written by Italian poet Giovanni Mario Filelfo in honor of Mehmet the Conqueror during the Renaissance period. Two researchers – Filiz Barin Akman, an English literature professor at Ankara Social Sciences University, and academic writer Beyazit Akman – began working on the poem when they came across with it thanks to a reference made in an academic book during their time in the US as they were doing their master’s degree. The couple searched out that the Latin manuscript of the book was in a library in Geneva, Switzerland. They also found out that a transcription of the work, prepared in 1978, was in Italy. Thanks to the former Turkish ambassador in Vatican, Lutfullah Goktas, the book was delivered to the Akmans after he found it in a second-hand bookshop. The work was translated from Latin to Turkish by Ahmet Deniz Altunbas, and to English by Ronnie Apter, an emerita professor from Central Michigan University, and Mark Herman from Columbia University. With the support of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, the Akmans published the book in Turkish and English for the first time with the original title – “The Emiriad, the Life and Deeds of Mehmet Emperor of the Turks.” Published by Istanbul-based Kopernik Kitap, the book’s foreword for the English edition was written by British historian Jerry Brotton from London-based Queen Mary University.(Footage by Erlevent Gulbitti/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)