mehmed ii or mehmed the conqueror (, "meḥmed-i sānī"; modern , ; 30 march 1432 – 3 may 1481) was sultan of the ottoman empire for a short time from 1444 to 1446, and later from 1451 to 1481. at the age of 21, he conquered constantinople, bringing an end to the medieval byzantine empire. he also conquered bosnia and introduced islam to the region where it quickly gained an influence amongst the local population. he became sultan after his father died 5 feb 1451.