AB: Some Turkish scholars argue that the Jihad call wasn't targeting the non-Muslim citizens of the Ottoman Empire. But what ...

In May 1453, the Ottomans under Sultan Mehmed II brought down the great walls of Constantinople after weeks of siege. This one-minute journey with Google Earth traces the city’s defenses, the decisive ...

Through Google Earth’s lens, we retrace the dramatic Fall of Constantinople in 1453. In just one minute, we chart the city’s imposing walls, the Ottoman siege led by Mehmed II, and the moment the ...

For over 1,000 years, Constantinople held out against a never-ending stream of failed attacks. Capital of the Byzantine Empire, a.k.a. the Eastern Roman Empire, it was famed for its heavily fortified ...

Great vision makes great men, as the saying goes, and Fatih Sultan Mehmed was born to be one. On this day, 572 years ago, Sultan Mehmed II gave a death blow to the Byzantine Empire by conquering ...

On 6 April 1453, the Siege of Constantinople began under the command of Mehmed II, an Ottoman sultan who was just 21 years old but determined to see through his father’s dream of capturing the ...

Opponents of the current hostage deal with Hamas argue that releasing thousands of convicted terrorists in exchange for innocent Israeli captives is dangerously short-sighted. By rewarding Hamas for ...

Mehmed, having overcome many obstacles, prepares for the siege of Constantinople, uniting his viziers and subjects. He strengthens the navy, led by Baltaoğlu, who aims to reunite with his brother, ...

It wasn’t called the “beacon of civilization” for nothing. The legacy of Rome was so immense—in every realm—that centuries after its fall, there were still struggles to claim legitimacy as its ...