Storiascopio · Era 9 of 12 · lower secondary year 2
The fall of Constantinople
1453 · Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey)
In short
On 29 May 1453 the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople after a siege of almost two months. To break through its very strong walls he used enormous cannons, some of them specially built. So ended the Byzantine Empire, heir to the Eastern Roman Empire, which had lasted more than a thousand years. The city became the Ottoman capital and is now called Istanbul.
Why it matters Many Greek scholars fled to Italy carrying ancient books, and the date is often used to mark the start of the modern age.
Source: Treccani, entry “Costantinopoli”
Where we are in the era “Early modern age”
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about 1420Event 3 of 251687
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-fall-of-constantinople/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class