During the Ottoman period, the red apple became a symbol of Jihad that the empire led against western countries The legend about the red apple was especially spread among Janissaries and was used to keep their fighting spirit up
After Mehmed Fatih conquered Istanbul, those European cities the Ottoman Empire wanted to possess were namedthe red apple Ottoman compositions of the 16th century indicate itwhere the conquest of Belgrad or the siege of Vienna were describedas long-awaited gaining the red apple by Suleyman the Magnificent