Bucharest (Turk. Bükresh; Rom. București) was founded sometime in the fourteenth century, and was first mentioned in correspondence issued by Vlad III, the ruler of Wallachia, in 1459. Although the Ottomans conquered some parts of Wallachia in the early fifteenth century, they did not take Bucharest itself until 1554. It became the capital of the province of Wallachia in 1659. The Ottomans controlled the province through local vassals until 1716. Afterwards, it was ruled by Phanariotes, or Greek Ottoman subjects from Istanbul. Phanariote rule continued until 1821, when…