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Ottoman entry into the city and transfer of the capital
After Constantinople fell on May 29, 1453, Ottoman forces entered the city. Mehmed II ordered a three-day halt to killing (later moderated according …
Timeline
- 1453Constantinople · ConstantinopleAfter the walls were breached, Ottoman forces poured into the city and looting initially occurred. After entering the city, Mehmed II issued an order to halt the killing and punished offending soldiers, gradually restoring order; captives and spoils were distributed according to Ottoman custom.
- 1453Hagia Sophia · ConstantinopleMehmed II performed the first prayer in the Hagia Sophia, formally converting it into a mosque, symbolizing the transformation of a Christian imperial capital into the seat of an Islamic empire. Constantinople gradually replaced Edirne as the empire's political center.
Sources
- The Fall of Constantinople 1453 — Steven Runciman (1965)
- Mehmed the Conqueror and His Time — Franz Babinger (1978)