Answer:
(a) Because Mehmet II saw a man hacking the stones of the Hagia Sophia because the man believed it was a temple for infidels.
(b) The conquest gave the Ottoman the opportunity to expand into eastern Europe without any interruption.
Explanation:
(a) Why did the Ottomans convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque?
After a a 54 day siege by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed II, Constantinople was eventually conquered on May 29, 1453.
One day after the conquest, Mehmet II saw a man hacking the stones of the Hagia Sophia. When he asked was asked why he was doing that, the man said that the church was a temple for infidels. As a result of this, Mehmet II immediately gave an order that the man should stop the looting and that the church should instead be converted into a mosque.
(b) Why was this conquest a turning point in global history?
The conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire on May 29, 1453 was a turning point in global history becuase, the conquest put an end to the previous powerful defense for Christian Europe against Muslim invasion. The conquest then gave the Ottoman the opportunity to expand into eastern Europe without any interruption.
