Constantinople

A history of Constantinople from its founding in 330 to the Turkish conquest of 1453.

Constantinople, the ancient capital of the Byzantine Empire, stood as a beacon of Christian civilization for over a thousand years. This book chronicles the city's extraordinary history from its founding by Constantine the Great in 330 AD through its final days as the last bastion of Roman power. At the heart of the narrative is Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos, who led his people in the final desperate defense against Mehmed II's Ottoman forces in 1453. The city's magnificent architecture, including Hagia Sophia and the Theodosian Walls, became both a symbol of Christian strength and a target for relentless siege. As the empire faced internal religious strife and external threats, Constantinople's fate became intertwined with the survival of European civilization itself. The book explores how this city, where ancient Greek traditions met Christian faith, became the epicenter of medieval history.