29th May 1453: The Fall of Constantinople

On the 29th May 1453 the troops of the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Mehmed II successfully took control of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.  The capture of the city effectively brought the last vestiges of the Roman Empire to an end and, for many historians, also marks the end of the medieval period. The Ottomans began their siege of the city on the 6th April, but their enormous cannon was unable to break the walls and their ships were unable to cross the defensive chain th...