To mark the end of the Byzantine Empire and the rise of the Ottoman Empire under Mehmed the Conqueror, the city of Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453. The powerful walls of Constantinople fell after a 53-day siege, triggering a ferocious and chaotic struggle within the city itself. The victory was significant because it marked the beginning of the end for a once-great empire and made it easier for Ottoman power to sweep across Europe.

The fall had far-reaching effects, causing a dramatic change in the balance of power, trade patterns, and cross-cultural interactions between the East and the West. As a result of the exodus of artists and intellectuals from Constantinople, classical learning was revitalized throughout Europe during the Renaissance. The significance of the conquest of Constantinople and the subsequent exchange of cultures continues to reverberate throughout history and shape the geopolitical landscape.