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Siege of Constantinople

The 1453 Siege of Constantinople (painted 1499)

There were several sieges of Constantinople during the history of the Byzantine Empire. Two of them resulted in the capture of Constantinople from Byzantine rule: in 1204 by Crusaders, and in 1453 by the Ottoman Empire under Mehmed II.

Persian and Arab Sieges of Constantinople[]

Sieges by Bulgaria and the Rus'[]

Sieges and attacks during civil wars[]

  • The siege by Thomas the Slav in 821–822
  • The siege during the revolt of Leo Tornikios in 1047
  • A thirty-two day siege by Andronikos IV Palaiologos with the support of the Ottoman Turks in 1376.

Crusades[]

  • The first siege by the Fourth Crusade in 1203, in which Alexius IV was able to usurp the throne after Alexius III fled to Thrace.
  • The successful second siege by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, in which the Byzantines were overwhelmed and the Capital thoroughly sacked.

Nicaean sieges[]

  • An unsuccessful attempt in 1235, by Bulgarian and Nicaean forces, to retake the city.
  • An attack on Constantinople is implied by George Akropolites's account for 1248, but no details are known.
  • A second unsuccessful siege of Constantinople and Galata, in January–April 1260.
  • In 1261, a small force of Nicaean troops under Alexios Strategopoulos gained entry into the poorly defended Latin capital, ending the Latin Empire and restoring Byzantine rule to the City. Most Latin troops defending the city were absent on campaign, and the Emperor fled without putting up any resistance; there was no siege.

Ottoman Sieges[]

See also[]

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