Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople occurred when the Ottoman Empire took over Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, on 29 May 1453. The Ottomans were commanded by 21-year-old Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, who defeated an army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos. The conquest of Constantinople followed a 53-day siege started on 6 April 1453. After the conquest of the city, Constantinople became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Today, Constantinople is known as Istanbul.