Fall of Constantinople May 29th 1453

Today marks the 572 year anniversary of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. Though the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire was a pale shadow of its former self the siege sent shockwaves throughout Europe as the last vestige of Rome and Christendom was extinguished. Granted the Western Christians had taken the city in 1204 in the horrendous "4th Crusade" but the conquest by Mehmed II put the Ottomans on the map and marked the end of the thousand year old empire.

The siege itself was 55 days long and included tales of bravery, treachery, atrocity, and ingenuity. Ottomans had hired a Hungarian cannon maker to craft huge artillery to breach the walls. A giant chain was used to keep out the Ottoman navy in the Golden Horn so the Sultan used oxen and logs to roll his navy into the seas adjacent to Byzantium. With only around 9,000 defenders the besieged Byzantine worked tirelessly to plug any gaps in the wall and repel invaders.

There is more to write but I'll leave some links and book recommendations for anybody interested.

1453 - Roger Crowley
Byzantium trilogy - John Julius Norwich
A History of Venice - John Julius Norwich
The Ottoman Centuries - Lord Kinross
Crusaders - Dan Jones
Mehmed the Conqueror and his time-Franz Babinger

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