Surprisingly, it so happened that the history of one of the greatest empires remains practically unknown to many, and its glory forgotten. In many European countries, a negative myth has developed about Byzantium, in which it is associated with despotism, luxury, magnificent ceremonies, and moral decay. But this is far from true. Let's try to take a closer look at the history of this great empire.

Birth of an Empire

The last emperor to rule a unified Roman Empire was Theodosius I. In 395, shortly before his death, he divided the territory of the empire between his two sons - one received the western part, and the other the eastern.

But less than 80 years later, the Western Roman Empire, unable to withstand the raids of the barbarians, ceased to exist. The eastern part, which is now called Byzantium, was more fortunate - it not only survived, but also existed for more than ten centuries, until 1453.
And since Rome fell, Constantinople became the new capital of the empire for many centuries - a city built on the banks of the Bosphorus back in the 4th century by order of the emperor of the then unified Roman Empire, Constantine the Great.

Constantine subsequently intended to move the capital to this city in a calmer eastern territory. Its size and splendor surpassed many ancient Greek and Roman cities, and it was named after the emperor - Constantinople.

In fact, an empire called Byzantium never existed. This is how historians began to call the Eastern Empire after its collapse, so as not to be confused with the Roman Empire. They took as a basis the name of the ancient Greek city of Byzantium, on the site of which Constantinople was built.
The inhabitants of Byzantium (mostly Greeks) continued to consider themselves Romans, in Greek - “Romans”. Naturally, they did not even suspect that they had now become Byzantines.

Although Byzantium itself practically did not wage wars of conquest, it constantly had to fight off the barbarians attacking it, trying to grab tidbits from it. Over the long period of its existence, the boundaries of the empire were constantly changing.

Golden era of Justinian I (527-565)

Emperor Justinian considered the main task of his life to return the empire to its former greatness, and in many ways he succeeded. Many of the lost lands of the western provinces re-entered the empire, which became the most powerful among the Mediterranean countries, and its capital, Constantinople, became fabulously rich.

Much of this was achieved thanks to extraordinary personality the emperor himself, who was distinguished by intelligence, ambition and extraordinary efficiency. No wonder people called him “ the emperor who never sleeps».
And Julian’s wife Theodora helped him in his labors and supported him in everything.

Despite her dubious past (in her youth she was a dancer and entertained the public not only with dancing), when he became emperor, Justinian proclaimed Theodora empress.

Justinian became famous not only for his good deeds, but also for his treachery and cruelty. The construction boom in Constantinople and the endless wars that Justinian waged to regain the western territories required considerable financial costs. They had to be covered by constant increases in taxes. In the end, an uprising broke out in society, which Justinian suppressed through a bloody massacre of his people, showing unheard-of cruelty. He invited people to gather at the Hippodrome for negotiations, he gave the order to lock the gates, after which everyone gathered was killed.

However, after the death of Justinian, the territory of the empire began to rapidly shrink again.

End of the Empire

Throughout the XIV-XV centuries, constant raids on Byzantium were carried out by the Ottomans, who took away one province after another. And in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II launched an attack on Constantinople, using the full power of the cannons at his disposal, which the Byzantines did not have.

And the city walls, which saved the city from invaders for ten centuries, could not stand it. But, nevertheless, the defenders of the city did not give up and continued to fight until the last.
On May 30, the Turks occupied Constantinople, which after that became known as Istanbul.
With the fall of Constantinople, Byzantium, the most powerful state of the Middle Ages, disappeared forever.

The legacy left by a great empire

Byzantine emperors and craftsmen surpassed even the ancient Romans in some things:

A water supply system was built with the longest water pipeline and huge underground reservoirs to supply drinking water to Constantinople, much larger than the one that existed in Ancient Rome

A powerful triple line of fortifications was built in an unimaginably short time, requiring enormous engineering skill (after the earthquake destroyed the city walls, and the terrifying Huns, led by their leader Atilla, were approaching Constantinople)

The majestic St. Sophia Cathedral, topped with a huge dome, was erected in Constantinople.

For a long time it was the largest Christian temple, but after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks it was turned into the Hagia Sophia mosque.

Byzantium is the guardian of ancient cultural heritage

After the fall of Constantinople, many Byzantines fled to Europe. Greek scientists brought with them the priceless works of ancient philosophers in the form of manuscripts, which were carefully preserved in Byzantium. This is how Byzantine culture penetrated into Europe, which greatly contributed to the emergence of the Renaissance.

Much was inherited from Byzantium and Ancient Rus':

Christian religion (Orthodoxy): Baptism of Rus' in 988

Icon veneration: in the mid-9th century, after a period of iconoclasm, the Greeks rehabilitated icons.

Old Russian icons are practically indistinguishable from Byzantine ones:

Angel. Fragment of the icon “Great Martyr George, with scenes from his life. Great Martyrs Marina and Irina (?).” Two-sided icon. XIII century. Wood, carving, tempera. Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens

This is not surprising, since many Byzantine icon painters worked in Rus', take, for example, the famous Theophan the Greek.

Dome architecture: many cathedrals are built in the likeness of Hagia Sophia

Certificate: Cyril and Methodius - immigrants from the Greek city of Thessaloniki

Names: Alexander, Alexey, Andrey, Kirill, Nikita, Nikolay, Fedor... Anastasia, Varvara, Galina, Evgenia, Ekaterina, Elena, Tatyana, Sophia... and many others - all from there, from Byzantium

Name RUSSIA (Ρωσία Greek): Before this, the country was called Rus' or by principalities.

Coat of arms: Sophia Palaiologos from the last Byzantine dynasty, who agreed to marry the Moscow Grand Duke Ivan III, brought with her the Palaiologos emblem with a double-headed eagle as a dowry. And soon this eagle was already on the Russian coat of arms.

The Byzantine Empire, in short, is a state that appeared in 395, after the collapse of the Great Roman Empire. It could not withstand the invasion of barbarian tribes and was divided into two parts. Less than a century after its collapse, the Western Roman Empire ceased to exist. But she left behind a strong successor - the Byzantine Empire. The Roman Empire lasted for 500 years, and its eastern successor for more than a thousand, from the 4th to the 15th centuries.
Initially, the Eastern Roman Empire was called "Romania". In the West for a long time it was called the "Greek Empire" because most of its population was Greek. But the inhabitants of Byzantium themselves called themselves Romans (in Greek - Romans). It was only after its fall in the 15th century that the Eastern Roman Empire began to be called "Byzantium".

This name comes from the word Byzantium - this is how Constantinople, the capital of the empire, was first called.
The Byzantine Empire, in short, occupied a huge territory - almost 1 million square meters. kilometers. It was located on three continents - Europe, Africa and Asia.
The capital of the state is the city of Constantinople, founded during the time of the Great Roman Empire. At first it was the Greek colony of Byzantium. In 330, Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the empire here and named the city by his own name - Constantinople. In the Middle Ages it was the richest city in Europe.

The Byzantine Empire could not avoid the invasion of the barbarians, but it avoided such losses as the west of the Roman Empire thanks to wise policies. For example, Slavic tribes participating in the great migration of peoples were allowed to settle on the outskirts of the empire. Thus, Byzantium received populated borders, the population of which was a shield against other invaders.
The basis of the Byzantine economy was production and trade. It included many rich cities that produced almost all goods. In the V - VIII centuries, the heyday of Byzantine ports began. Land roads became unsafe for merchants due to long wars in Europe, so the sea route became the only possible one.
The Empire was a multi-ethnic country, so the culture was amazingly diverse. Its basis was the ancient heritage.
On May 30, 1453, after two months of stubborn resistance to the Turkish army, Constantinople fell. Thus ended the thousand-year history of one of the great powers of the world.

Which state does Byzantium belong to now? and got the best answer

Answer from KK[expert]
They already told you that this is Türkiye, now it is Istanbul

Answer from V@ёk Franchetti[expert]
In the very heyday of the empire, the following territories belonged to and were subject to Byzantium:
Balkan Peninsula (Greece, Serbia...)
Türkiye
Armenia
Georgia
Egypt
Krasnodar region
Coast of Ukraine
Bulgaria and Romania
Israel
Libya
Azerbaijan
part of Iran
Iraq
Syria
Jordan
Cyprus
part of Sudova Arabia

Answer from Kuban Ball[newbie]
Geographically - Türkiye, Culturally - Greece

Answer from Pronichkin Vladimir[newbie]
Türkiye

Answer from Nikolai Andryushevich[newbie]
Thank you

Answer from Svetlana Dzhekspaeva[newbie]
But what if I still didn’t understand Byzantium, huh?

Answer from Yeomyon Sudarenko[newbie]
This question is not asked entirely correctly, because at the peak of its power, Byzantium covered vast territories, and its cultural heritage had a great influence on many peoples and states. It is noteworthy that Byzantium itself was a direct continuation of the ancient Roman Empire, the heirs of which many more states called themselves (from the Franks of Charlemagne to the Italians of Benito Mussolini), often without having any rights to do so.
As for Byzantium itself, it should be noted that it had no fewer heirs than the great Roman Empire, and many of them appeared even before its destruction (often, these were Romanized peoples, for example, the “Serbo-Gean kingdom” that existed since 13th to 15th centuries), but we will consider only the most legitimate of them. Many consider modern Greece to be a direct continuation of the medieval Greek state (the very appearance of which was directly related to the idea of ​​​​restoring the Byzantine Empire with its center in Constantinople). Also, the Russian Principality of Moscow laid claim to the role of heir to Byzantium. This idea originated under Prince Ivan III (Moscow - the third Rome) and was directly associated with the Byzantines’ adoption of Catholicism, and then with the fall of Constantinople (1453). To strengthen his rights to the Roman throne, the Russian prince married the Byzantine princess Zoe Palaeologus, and also tried to annex the Principality of Theodoro in Crimea to his possessions (but the capture of the peninsula by the Turks prevented this from happening).
And now about Turkey - the answer from user "KK" was recognized as the best, but the question is: why? Not only is it incorrect, it is also unsubstantiated and illiterate. Turkey (or more precisely, the Ottoman Empire) is the state that destroyed Byzantium (the barbaric sack of Constantinople in 1453), rejected its culture and appropriated many of the achievements of the Byzantines in the field of science, art, etc. Calling Turkey the heir of Byzantium is tantamount to to name Napoleon I's France as successor Russian Empire(The French also captured the capital of our state in 1812).

Answer from Anne[guru]
What do many people write about Istanbul here? Istanbul is a CITY! And Byzantium is a state. It occupied almost all of Europe and part of Africa. Including Turkey. Byzantium is the Eastern Roman Empire. Constantinople (now Istanbul) is the capital. It included the cities: Alexandria (this is in Egypt), Antioch, Trebizond, Thessaloniki, Iconium, Nicaea... Well, since the capital was Constantinople, and now it is called Istanbul, then now Byzantium is Turkey. In general, these are several current states, judging by the territory of that Byzantium...

Answer from Anna[guru]
Byzantium is the eastern part of the Roman Empire... Constantinople fell in 1453 to the Turks... now it is Turkey, the capital is Istanbul. you need to know such basic things...

Answer from User deleted[expert]
Well, how can you not know? ! Naturally this is Istanbul in Turkey!! First it was Byzantium, then Constantinople, and now... Istanbul! It's simple!!

Answer from User deleted[newbie]
Türkiye, Türkiye, Türkiye...

Answer from Yotepanova Oksana[active]
Byzantium - Constantinople - Istanbul, and the country is now Türkiye! The city is located on both banks of the Bosphorus Strait

Answer from Asenn[guru]
The question was asked a little incorrectly, because there was the state of Byzantium and the city of Byzantium.
Byzantine Empire, Byzantium (Greek Βασιλεία Ρωμαίων - Roman Empire, 476-1453) - a medieval state, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire. The name “Byzantine Empire” (after the city of Byzantium, on the site of which the Roman Emperor Constantine I the Great founded Constantinople at the beginning of the 4th century) was given to the state in the works of Western European historians after its fall. The Byzantines themselves called themselves Romans - in Greek “Romeans”, and their power - “Romean”. Western sources also call the Byzantine Empire "Romania" (Ρωμανία in Greek language). For much of its history, many of its Western contemporaries referred to it as the "Empire of the Greeks" due to the dominance of its Greek population and culture. IN ancient Rus' it was also usually called the “Greek Kingdom”, and its capital “Constantinople”.

Byzantine Empire, 476-1453
The capital of Byzantium throughout its history was Constantinople, one of the largest cities of the then world. The empire controlled the largest territories under Emperor Justinian I. From that time on, it gradually lost land under the onslaught of barbarian kingdoms and Eastern European tribes. After the Arab conquests, it occupied only the territory of Greece and Asia Minor. Some strengthening in the 9th-11th centuries was replaced by serious losses, the collapse of the country under the attacks of the crusaders and death under the onslaught of the Seljuk Turks and Ottoman Turks.

The name of the capital of the Byzantine Empire is the subject of endless debate among several generations of historians. One of the most magnificent and largest cities in the world went by several names. Sometimes they were used together, sometimes separately. Ancient name capital has nothing in common with the modern name of this city. How has the name of one of the largest European cities transformed over the centuries? Let's try to figure it out.

First inhabitants

The first inhabitants of Byzantium known to history were the Megarians. In 658 BC. e. they founded a village at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus and named it Chalcedon. Almost simultaneously, the town of Byzantium grew up on the other side of the strait. A few hundred years later, both villages united and gave their name to the new city.

Steps to Prosperity

The unique geographical location of the city made it possible to control the transport of goods to the Black Sea - to the shores of the Caucasus, to Taurida and Anatolia. Thanks to this, the city quickly grew rich and became one of the largest shopping centers in the Old World. The city changed several owners - it was ruled by the Persians, Athenians, Macedonians, and Spartans. In 74 BC. e. Rome seized power in Byzantium. For the city, this meant the onset of a time of peace and prosperity - under the protection of Roman legionaries, the city began to develop at an accelerated pace.

Byzantium and Rome

At the beginning of the new millennium, Byzantium faced real danger. The eternal rivalry of Roman aristocrats for the right to be called emperor led to a fatal mistake. The Byzantines sided with Piscenius Niger, who never became emperor. In Rome, Septimus Severus, a stern warrior, an excellent military leader and a hereditary aristocrat, was crowned with a crimson robe. Angered by the grumbling of the Byzantines, the new ruler put Byzantium under a long siege. After a long confrontation, the besieged Byzantines surrendered. Prolonged hostilities brought disaster and destruction to the city. Perhaps the city would not have been reborn from the ashes if not for Emperor Constantine.

New name

The new ambitious emperor began his career with several military campaigns, which ended in victory for the Roman army. Having become the ruler of the vast territories of the Roman Empire, Constantine was faced with the fact that the eastern lands were governed by Roman governors in a semi-autonomous mode. It was necessary to reduce the distance between the center and remote areas. And Constantine decided to found the second most important city of Rome in the eastern lands. He settled on dilapidated Byzantium and directed his efforts to transform this provincial village into the brilliant capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The transformation began in 324. with his own spear he outlined the boundaries around the city. Later, the city walls of the new metropolis were installed along this line. Huge money and the personal participation of the emperor made the miracle possible - in just six years the city became worthy of the title of capital. The grand opening took place on May 11, 330. On this day the city received a new impetus for development. Revived, it was actively populated by settlers from other regions of the empire, and acquired the splendor and splendor befitting a new capital. This is how the city received its new name - Constantinople, and became a worthy embodiment of everything that the Byzantine Empire represented. It was not for nothing that the capital of this state was called the second Rome - the eastern sister was in no way inferior to its western brother in grandeur and splendor.

Constantinople and Christianity

After the split of the great Roman Empire, Constantinople became the center of a new state - the Eastern Roman Empire. Soon the country began to be called by the first name of its own capital, and in history textbooks it received the corresponding name - the Byzantine Empire. The capital of this state played a huge role in the formation of Orthodox Christianity.

The Byzantine Church professed orthodox Christianity. Byzantine Christians considered representatives of other movements to be heretics. The emperor was the personification of both the secular and religious life of the country, but there was no power of God, as was often the case with eastern tyrants. The religious tradition was quite diluted with secular ceremonies and rituals. The emperor was endowed with divine power, but nevertheless he was elected from among mere mortals. There was no institution of succession - neither blood relationship nor personal connections guaranteed the Byzantine throne. In this country, anyone could become an emperor... and almost a god. Both the ruler and the city were full of power and greatness, both secular and religious.

Hence there is a certain duality in the definition of Constantinople as the city in which the entire Byzantine Empire was concentrated. The capital of a great country was a place of pilgrimage for many generations of Christians - the magnificent cathedrals and temples simply amazed the imagination.

Rus' and Byzantium

In the middle of the first millennium state entities The Eastern Slavs became so significant that they began to attract the attention of their wealthier neighbors. The Russians regularly went on campaigns, bringing home rich gifts from distant lands. The campaigns against Constantinople amazed the imagination of our ancestors so much that a new, Russian name for the capital of the Byzantine Empire soon spread. Our ancestors called the city Constantinople, thereby emphasizing its wealth and power.

Collapse of the Empire

Everything in the world has its end. The Byzantine Empire did not escape this fate. The capital of the once mighty state was captured and plundered by soldiers of the Ottoman Empire. After the establishment of Turkish rule, the city lost its name. The new owners preferred to call it Stanbul (Istanbul). Linguists claim that this name is a twisted tracing of the ancient Greek name polis - city. It is under this name that the city is still known today.

As you can see, there is no single answer to the question of what is the capital of the Byzantine Empire and what is it called. It is necessary to indicate the historical time period of interest.

There is probably no other more suffering country in the world than Byzantium. Its dizzying rise and such a rapid fall still cause controversy and discussion both in historical circles and among those who are far from history. The bitter fate of the once strongest state early Middle Ages does not leave either writers or filmmakers indifferent - books, films, and TV series are constantly being published, one way or another connected with this state. But the question is: is everything in them true? And how to distinguish truth from fiction? After all, so many centuries have passed, many documents of enormous historical value were lost during wars, conquests, fires, or simply by order of a new ruler. But we will still try to reveal some details of the development of Byzantium in order to understand how such a strong state could meet such a pitiful and inglorious end?

History of creation

The Byzantine Empire, often called the Eastern or simply Byzantium, existed from 330 to 1453. With its capital at Constantinople, founded by Constantine I (r. 306-337 AD), the empire varied in size over the centuries, at one time or another, possessing territories located in Italy, the Balkans, the Levant, Lesser Asia and North Africa. The Byzantines developed their own political systems, religious practices, art and architecture.

The history of Byzantium begins in 330 AD. At this time, the legendary Roman Empire was experiencing better times- rulers were constantly changing, money flowed from the treasury like sand through fingers, the once conquered territories easily won their right to freedom. The capital of the empire, Rome, becomes an unsafe place to live. In 324, Flavius ​​Valerius Aurelius Constantine became emperor, who went down in history only under his last name - Constantine the Great. Having defeated all other rivals, he reigns in the Roman Empire, but decides to take an unprecedented step - moving the capital.

In those days, it was quite calm in the provinces - all the thick of events took place in Rome. Constantine's choice fell on the banks of the Bosphorus, where in the same year the construction of a new city began, which would be given the name Byzantium. After 6 years, Constantine - the first Roman emperor who gave Christianity to the ancient world - announces that from now on the capital of the empire is a new city. Initially, the emperor adhered to the old rules and named the capital New Rome. However, the name did not stick. Since in its place there was once also a city called Byzantium, it was abandoned. Then local residents began to unofficially use another, but more popular name - Constantinople, the city of Constantine.

Constantinople

The new capital had an excellent natural harbor at the entrance to the Golden Horn and, commanding the border between Europe and Asia, could control the passage of ships through the Bosporus from the Aegean to the Black Sea, linking the lucrative trade between West and East. It should be noted that the new state actively took advantage of this advantage. And, oddly enough, the city was well fortified. A great chain stretched across the entrance to the Golden Horn, and the construction of the massive walls of Emperor Theodosius (between 410 and 413) meant that the city was able to withstand attacks from both sea and land. Over the centuries, as more impressive buildings were added, the cosmopolitan city became one of the finest of any era and by far the richest, most generous and most important Christian city in the world. In general, Byzantium occupied vast territories on the world map - the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, the Aegean and Black Sea coast Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania - they were all once part of Byzantium.

It is necessary to note another, important detail - Christianity became the official religion in the new city. That is, those who were mercilessly persecuted and brutally executed in the Roman Empire found shelter and peace in the new country. Unfortunately, Emperor Constantine did not see the heyday of his brainchild - he died in 337. The new rulers paid increasing attention to the new city on the outskirts of the empire. In 379, Theodosius gained power over the eastern provinces. First as a co-ruler, and in 394 he began to rule independently. He is considered the last Roman emperor, which is generally true - in 395, when he died, the Roman Empire split into two parts - Western and Eastern. That is, Byzantium received the official status of the capital new empire, which also became known as Byzantium. This year is counting down new country on the map ancient world and the emerging Middle Ages.

Rulers of Byzantium

The Byzantine emperor also received a new title - he was no longer called Caesar in the Roman manner. The Eastern Empire was ruled by the Basileus (from the Greek Βασιλιας - king). They resided in the magnificent Great Palace of Constantinople and ruled Byzantium with an iron fist as absolute monarchs. The Church gained enormous power in the state. In those days, military talent meant a lot, and citizens expected their rulers to skillfully conduct battles and protect their native walls from the enemy. Therefore, the army in Byzantium was one of the most powerful and powerful. The generals, if they wanted, could easily overthrow the emperor if they saw that he was unable to protect the city and the borders of the empire.

However, in ordinary life, the emperor was the commander-in-chief of the army, the head of the Church and the government, he controlled state finances and appointed or dismissed ministers at will; few rulers before or since have ever wielded such power. The emperor's image appeared on Byzantine coins, which also depicted the chosen successor, often the eldest son, but not always, since there were no clearly established rules of succession. Very often (if not always) the heirs were named after their ancestors, so Constantines, Justinians, and Theodosians were born in the imperial family from generation to generation. The name Konstantin was my favorite.

The heyday of the empire began with the reign of Justinian - from 527 to 565. It is he who will slowly begin to modify the empire - Hellenistic culture will prevail in Byzantium, instead of Latin, Greek will be recognized as the official language. Justinian would also adopt the legendary Roman law in Constantinople - many European states would borrow it in the following years. It was during his reign that the construction of the symbol of Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia Cathedral (on the site of the former burnt temple), would begin.

Byzantine culture

When talking about Byzantium, it is impossible not to mention the culture of this state. It influenced many subsequent countries of both the West and the East.

The culture of Byzantium is inextricably linked with religion - beautiful icons and mosaics depicting the emperor and his family became the main decoration of temples. Subsequently, some were canonized, and the former rulers became icons that were worshiped.

It is impossible not to note the appearance of the Glagolitic alphabet - Slavic alphabet through the works of the Byzantine brothers Cyril and Methodius. Byzantine science was inextricably linked with antiquity. Many works of writers of that time were based on the works of ancient Greek scientists and philosophers. Medicine achieved particular success, so much so that even Arab healers used Byzantine works in their work.

The architecture was distinguished by its special style. As already mentioned, the symbol of Constantinople and all of Byzantium was Hagia Sophia. The temple was so beautiful and majestic that many ambassadors, coming to the city, could not contain their delight.

Looking ahead, we note that after the fall of the city, Sultan Mehmed II was so fascinated by the cathedral that from now on he ordered that mosques throughout the empire be built exactly on the model of Hagia Sophia.

Campaigns against Byzantium

Unfortunately, such a rich and favorably located state could not help but arouse unhealthy interest in itself. Over the centuries of its existence, Byzantium was repeatedly attacked by other states. Already from the 11th century, the Byzantines constantly repelled the raids of the Bulgarians and Arabs. At first things went well. The Bulgarian Tsar Samuil was so shocked by what he saw that he suffered a stroke and died. And the thing was: during a successful attack, the Byzantines captured almost 14 thousand Bulgarian soldiers. Basileus Vasily II ordered to blind everyone and leave one eye for every hundredth soldier. Byzantium showed all its neighbors that it was not worth joking with. For the time being.

The year 1204 was the first news of the end of the empire - the crusaders attacked the city and completely plundered it. The creation of the Latin Empire was announced, all lands were divided between the barons who participated in the campaign. However, here the Byzantines were lucky - after 57 years, Michael Palaiologos expelled all the crusaders from Byzantium and revived the Eastern Empire. And also created a new dynasty of the Palaiologos. But, unfortunately, the former heyday of the empire could not be achieved - the emperors fell under the influence of Genoa and Venice, constantly plundered the treasury and carried out every decree from Italy. Byzantium was weakening.

Gradually, territories were separated from the empire and became free states. By the middle of the 15th century, only a memory remained of the former flower of the Bosphorus. It was easy prey. Which is what the young Sultan took advantage of Ottoman Empire Mehmed II. In 1453 he easily invaded and conquered Constantinople. The city resisted, but not for long and not strongly. Before this sultan, the Rumeli fortress (Rumelihisar) was built on the Bosphorus, which blocked all communications between the city and the Black Sea. The possibility of assistance to Byzantium from other states was also cut off. Several attacks were repelled, the last one - on the night of May 28-29 - was unsuccessful. The last emperor of Byzantium died in battle. The army was exhausted. There was nothing holding the Turks back anymore. Mehmed entered the city on horseback and ordered the beautiful Hagia Sophia to be converted into a mosque. The history of Byzantium ended with the fall of its capital, Constantinople. Pearls of the Bosphorus.