In 1476, the head of Vlad the Impaler was delivered to Mehmed the Conqueror, marking what should have been the end of one of Europe’s bloodiest rulers. But death wasn’t the end — it was the beginning ...

Introduction: the white castle -- The beginning: Gazi Osman and Orhan -- The sultan and his converted slaves: Murad I -- Resurrecting the dynasty: Bayezid I, Mehmed I, and Murad II -- Conquering the ...