Fall of Constantinople

The Fall of Constantinople was the conquest of the Byzantine capital by the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Mehmed II, on Tuesday, May 29, 1453. This marked not only the final destruction of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the death of Constantine XI, the last Roman Emperor, but also the strategic conquest crucial for Ottoman rule over the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans.

Aftermath

Mehmed had initially promised his troops they could loot the city for three days, in accordance with ancient military tradition. He eventually reconsidered and, while allowing looting, pillaging to continue for weeks, he decided to not allow his soldiers to damage any of the structures to keep the city intact.

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Mehmed waited until the area was secured and entered the city in a ceremonial procession where the local population brought him flowers in congratulations. His initial impression was that the city had fallen into disrepair, a trend that began after Constantinople was conquered in the Fourth Crusade.

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In Mehmed's view, he was the successor to the Roman Emperor, but he was nicknamed "the Conqueror", and Constantinople became the new capital of the Ottoman Empire. Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, although the Greek Orthodox Church remained intact, and Gennadius Scholarius was appointed Patriarch of Constantinople.

Related Topics:
Hagia Sophia - Greek Orthodox Church - Gennadius Scholarius - Patriarch of Constantinople

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Many Greeks fled the city and found refuge in the Latin West. Those Greeks who stayed behind were mostly confined to the Phanar and Galata districts. The Phanariots, as they were called, provided many capable advisors to the Ottoman sultans, but were seen as traitors by many Greeks.

Related Topics:
Latin West - Phanar - Galata - Phanariot

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The Morean (Peloponnesian) fortress of Mystras held out until 1460, where Constantine's brothers Thomas and Demetrius ruled, constantly in conflict with each other and knowing that Mehmed would eventually invade them as well. Long before the fall of Constantinople, Demetrius had fought for the throne with Thomas, Constantine, and their other brothers John and Theodore. Thomas escaped to Rome when the Ottomans invaded Morea in 1460. Demetrius expected to rule a puppet state, but instead he was imprisoned and remained there for the rest of his life. In Rome, Thomas and his family received some monetary support from the Pope and other western rulers as Byzantine emperor in exile, until 1503. In 1461 the autonomous Byzantine state in Trebizond fell to Mehmed.

Related Topics:
Morea - 1460 - Thomas and Demetrius - John - 1503 - 1461

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Scholars consider the Fall of Constantinople as a key event ending the Middle Ages and starting the Renaissance because of the end of the old religious order in Europe and the use of cannon and gunpowder. The fall of Constantinople also severed the main overland trade link between Europe and Asia. As a result, more Europeans began to seriously consider the possibility of reaching Asia by sea - this would eventually lead to the European discovery of the New World.

Related Topics:
Middle Ages - Renaissance - New World

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Down to the present day, many Greeks have considered Tuesday (the day of the week that Constantinople fell) to be the unluckiest day of the week.

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