The Muradiye cemetery's 12 tombs (15th-16th centuries) include that of Sultan Murat II (r 1421–51). Although his son, Mehmet II, would capture Constantinople, Murat did all the earlier hard work, annexing territories from enemy states during his reign. Like other Islamic dynasties, the Ottoman's did not practice primogeniture – any royal son could claim power upon his father's death, which unsurprisingly resulted in numerous bloodbaths. The tombs preserve this macabre legacy: all the şehzades (imperial sons) interred here were killed by close relatives. While man tombs are ornate and trimmed with beautiful İznik tiles, others are simple and stark, like that of the ascetic and part-time dervish Murat II.
