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Church History

Fall of Constantinople (1453)

Fall of Constantinople (1453), by Peter Christian Riemann, 2026-03-21 11:00:13
Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, Istanbul (1991) Peter Christian Riemann, 2026-03-21 11:00:13 CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople on May 29, 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire. Sultan Mehmed II captured the city. Hagia Sophia was converted to a mosque. The Ecumenical Patriarchate survived under Ottoman rule with the 'millet' system, maintaining spiritual leadership of Orthodox Christians.

Sources

  • Doukas, Decline and Fall of Byzantium (Orthodox Byzantine historian, eyewitness era)
  • Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church archive.org
  • Laonikos Chalkokondyles, Histories (Byzantine historian, 15th c.)

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