Trade routes, the sea, and land made Constantinople attractive to traders. It was a strong military city that prospered from trade. At the same time, western Roman cities began to crumble while ...

The Siege of 1453 The Siege of 1453 was a defining moment for Constantinople and the world. The city, once considered ...

John Julius Norwich tells the dramatic story of the fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, followed by the rise of the Ottoman Turks in the 15th Century. Using monuments in Istanbul to ...