THE RECORD
What changed
Mehmed II's army used siege works, cannon and fleet to capture the city in May 1453 and make it an Ottoman capital.
EVIDENCE
What remains
Byzantine, Ottoman and western chronicles, walls, weapons and diplomatic records document the siege and aftermath.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
The city grew again as an imperial centre where Orthodox, Islamic and commercial worlds overlapped.
OPEN QUESTION
Where interpretation begins
The conquest did not simply cause oceanic exploration; Mediterranean trade continued and Atlantic voyages had many causes.