When did Constantinople fall?
Quick Answer
Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks on 29 May 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire after more than a thousand years.
The Full Story
Sultan Mehmed II besieged the city for about 53 days with an army that vastly outnumbered the defenders. He used enormous cannons, including one designed by the Hungarian engineer Orban, to batter the city's famous Theodosian Walls. The Ottomans even hauled ships overland on greased logs into the Golden Horn to bypass a chain blocking the harbour. The last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, died fighting as the city fell. Constantinople became the Ottoman capital and is today the city of Istanbul.
Key Facts
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"The siege that ended the Roman Empire"
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