Ottoman Empire | Timeline | Britannica

On 29 May 1453, Ottoman forces breached the walls of Constantinople, bringing an end to Byzantium’s thousand-year empire. Emperor Constantine XI fought bravely in the streets, refusing to escape as the city fell around him. Survivors either fled or were enslaved, and Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque under the new Ottoman rule. The conquest marked a profound shift in history, symbolizing the collapse of a long-standing empire and the rise of a new power that would dominate the region for