Turkey: The Siege of Constantinople (1453) by Jean Le Tavernier ( - 1462). Sultan Mehmet II’s camp outside Constantinople, taken from a French manuscript dated 1455

Constantinople, the capital of Constantine XI’s Byzantine Empire, was captured by Sultan Mehmet II and his Ottoman armies after a seven-week siege. Mehmet had applied pressure on Constantinople and the Byzantines by building forts along the Dardanelles. On 5 April, he laid siege to Constantinople with an army numbering 80,000 to 200,000 men. Constantine reportedly fell leading a charge against the invaders, though his body was never found. The last defenders were killed and the Turks proceeded to loot the city. The battle brought down the 1,100-year Byzantine Empire and is seen by many scholars as marking the end of the Middle Ages.

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Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

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Provider: Pictures From History

Theme:

Ottoman