The conquest of Constantinople in 1453 shocked Christian Europe in much the same way as Jerusalem’s capture by Saladin had done in 1187. This was not surprising. For thousands of Italian merchants and adventurous pilgrims, Constantinople was a vital and glorious gateway to the eastern half of the world. For millions more, Constantinople was an idea. It represented the enduring presence of the Roman Empire on earth and a historical continuity stretching back to time out of mind. For more than a millennium it had been a pillar of the Christian world, which seemed to hold Turks and the armies of
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