How did the Ottoman Empire capture Constantinople?

Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the Ottoman Empire on May 29, 1453, following a 53-day siege led by Sultan Mehmed II. The Ottoman forces overcame the city's legendary Theodosian walls using gunpowder artillery and cannons. This conquest marked the effective end of the Roman Empire and a turning point in military history.

What we know

• The 53-day siege of Constantinople began on April 6, 1453, and ended with the city's capture on May 29, 1453. [2]
• The attacking Ottoman army was commanded by Sultan Mehmed II, while the Byzantine army was led by Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos. [2]
• Ottoman cannons and bombards fired massive 500-kilogram cannonballs to create gaps in the renowned Theodosian walls. [2]
• Giovanni Giustiniani served as a Genoese mercenary captain and was instrumental in leading the land forces defending Constantinople. [3]
• Following the conquest, Mehmed II made Constantinople the new capital of the Ottoman Empire, replacing Adrianople. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Sultan Mehmed II?
• how it workedHow did the Theodosian walls protect the city for centuries?
• whereWhat was the role of the Lycus valley during the siege?
• what followedHow did the fall of Constantinople impact Europe?
• whenWhat major global events occurred in the year 1453?
• an unexpected connectionWhat else happened globally in 1453 besides the siege?While Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in May, the Hundred Years' War ended in France later that same year at the Battle of Castillon.

Sources

• [1]Fall of Constantinople (Wikidata Q160077) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Fall of Constantinople · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Giovanni Giustiniani · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]1453 · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Lycus (river of Constantinople) · CC BY-SA 4.0