| 1453: Fall of Constantinople/ Conquest of Istanbul |
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| He is Ottoman Empire Sultan Mehmet II, better known as Mehmet the Conqueror. His reign began in 1451 with the single objective of taking Constantinople. He cut the city off from any possible European aid, then launched a combined attack by sea and land that brought his forces to the gates of Constantinople. The last Byzantine Emperor would not surrender, dying in the final assault, which took the city, renamed Istanbul, new capital of the Ottoman Empire, on May 29, 1453. That date is still celebrated over 550 years later in modern Istanbul. |
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| Mehmet II converted Sancta Sophia into a mosque known as Aya Sofya. The minarets shown above were the most visible signs of change in the former church. The Byzantine mosaics and other Christian art were plastered over, which preserved them. Although the Byzantine Empire ended, it was survived by the Orthodox Church, also known as Eastern Orthodox, the Christian faith of Greece, Russia, and other countries. |
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| The interior of Aya Sofya now included this Moslem prayer niche, facing towards Mecca. |
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| Aya Sofya was a mosque for nearly 500 years, before Turkey's President Ataturk ordered that it be the museum it is today. |
| If you have a high speed internet connection, watch the Intrepid Berkeley Explorer's free video of this trip, "What the Sultan Saw", by clicking on AdventurePics.com . |
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