How I got the "Mehmet" achievement

The Deity level is not meant to be easy especially on the historical map setting. I did some random map shopping trying to find enough luxuries to keep the Turks happy and enough space between -Theo and Saladin to give us a chance to build up safely. The map I chose has similar terrain to historical, but had Jerusalem on the western coast of Africa and Mecca and Aleppo on opposite ends of an isthmus about 13 tiles long E to W and 4 to 6 tiles deep N to S. Saladin was 9 tiles east and 17 tiles south of Aleppo at Cairo, while Theo was 23 tiles west and 7 tiles north of of us at Constantinople. I hoped this would be adequate for our start. Mecca and Aleppo were both on the south coast of the isthmus with Mecca having whales on the cities coast and iron in three deposits of 2. Aleppo had copper and sugar 2 tiles away and 5 tiles to the north east had a coastal city site with 2 fish and access to more trade-able sugar and copper. Mecca had a near by site with silk and cotton, so my plan was to take Mecca and set up both ends of thre isthmus with two cities

I set science at civil service and policies with liberty republic and citizenship and 5-6 turns later added collective rule.

The two workers went to work on a farm and a mine and developing my sugar and copper. The settler went 5 tiles NE to found

Edrine (once founded the city bought a tile to connect the cities and close our east land border). For production I chose a scout then 2 catapults, a composite bowman, and a swordsman.

My swordsman went west and scouted Mecca and the area while the other units were being built and the scout checked out my city site and found more stone, iron and some ivory NW of that site for later expansion.

After the catapults and composite bowman were done, I found it quicker to embark them and get them on site quicker. As the ranged units arrives my SM picked off Mecca's worker and drew the cities defensive fire as the range units best the city down. He couldn't heal as fast as he took damage and so the SM and worker both moved west to seal off the mountain pass that Theo would use to expand east. Turn 28 saw Mecca fall as the 3 ranged units erased the last trace of red and the new swordsman made a bold amphibious assault taking 99 damage as the city was taken. When Aleppo completed that swordsman, she started a settler. The catapults and bowman moved west to secure our city site. Turn 37 saw Ankara founded, just as Theo was trying to get a foothold on our side of the mountains. She had a settler come through her allied city Budapest, but Mecca and Ankara's borders did not give her room to drop the city that close to us.

The next two policies were honor and warrior code (with the vial military tradition slated for the next pick)

I think this was the critical part of getting started on this achievement. Your job is to take Constantinople so Theo will be a constant enemy. Saladin is the wild card. I had to appease his to avoid the back-stab. I bribed him to DOW Theo. That kept him busy (I do not think he made any attempt to fight her but as I fought alone he met Ghengus and he decided to expand north toward the Mongols.

From this stage it is pretty much fight Theodora west and solidify the isthmus and the northern peninsula. Try to keep Russia out from the north. I followed civil service with theology and education before coming back to guilds and machinery. I used my free general to put a citadel close enough to Budapest so I could steal their gems and hold them back.

I have the saved start up if any one wants to replay on this map.
Does any body want more details?

William finished second, 4436 points behind

Special thanks to plast , maxym, and Ikas and asy others contributing to earlier threads

I just got the Mehmet the Conqueror achievement! I also shopped the random start for a desirable initial position. I chose one with Aleppo on a coast with a river, gems, and stone. Also, the Byzantines were much closer than the Ayyubids, so I thought I would be able to get to Constantiople (aka Istanbul as listed in the achievement) before the Ayyubids noticed me. The final bonus (that turned out to be the key to success) was that Mecca was between Aleppo and Constantinople. Interestingly, none of the Turkish specials came into play - prize ships, low-cost ships, Sipahi, nor Janissary. As far as combat strategy, I used all my GG to build citadels, first as defense to keep my cities, then as offense to push back the Byzantine army.

Turn 36 - Took Mecca. That solved all my income problems. This might be easy.
Turn 42 - Theodora declares war. Good - I can beat her up on defense for a little while, then counter-attack. All according to the master plan <insert evil cackle>.
Turn 46 - Oops. Saladin declared war also. I now have a two-front war.
Turn 73 - The beginning of my counter-attack against Theodora. I start attacking Varna so I can get to Constantinople.
Turn 108 - Saladin finally offered peace terms that did not include me giving him Mecca.
Turn 111 - I finally captured Varna, and I have an offensive citadel next to Constantinople.
Turn 134 - I took Constantinople this turn for the achievement!