Part 34
Harith Ubaidah
Several Muslim soldiers attempted to scale the fortifications using ropes, yet these efforts proved futile. On both sides of the battlefield, scenes of courage and manliness were unfolding, and history was being written in blood and resolve. No observer could predict how this confrontation would ultimately end. Along the western walls, the passage was exceedingly narrow; whenever Muslim troops attempted to advance, the Christian defenders unleashed a relentless storm of arrows. Fire-based defensive obstacles further rendered the breached sections impassable, leaving the soldiers unable to force their way into the city. As the darkness of night slowly deepened and the enemy remained fully alert, it became clear that entry through this route was impossible. The Sultan therefore ordered a withdrawal. It was evident that his mind had already turned to a different, more decisive plan.
Meanwhile, the Ottoman navy made repeated and determined attempts to break the massive chain blocking access to the Golden Horn, without which the siege remained incomplete. Yet every effort was thwarted by the combined resistance of the enemy’s coastal defenses and naval forces. Several Muslim vessels were struck by Byzantine cannon fire and sank beneath the waves. Ultimately, these attempts also failed, and the fleet was compelled to retreat.
The Dismissal of the Naval Commander and the Resolve of Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih (Mehmed II)
Two days after these events, on April 20, another fierce naval engagement took place between the Ottoman fleet and European warships attempting to enter the gulf with reinforcements. As the European vessels advanced, the Ottoman navy moved to intercept them. Both sides fought to weaken the other, and despite Ottoman efforts to block the passage, the European ships pressed forward relentlessly. The Sultan stood on the shoreline, watching the clash unfold before his eyes.
In the heat of the moment, he sent a stark message to the commander of the Ottoman navy: “Either seize these ships or sink them. If you are unable to do so, then sink yourself. Do not return to us in defeat.”
The Muslim sailors fought with all the strength they possessed, yet the European ships ultimately reached their destination. Enraged by this outcome, the Sultan dealt harshly with the naval commander upon his return, rebuking him with accusations of cowardice and lack of resolve.
The commander, Suleiman Baltoghlu, was deeply shaken. For a man of honor, no insult could be more devastating than being branded a coward. With anguish in his voice, he replied, “My Sultan, I am ready to embrace death willingly. But it would be unbearable for me to die carrying the stain of cowardice. My companions and I exhausted every means and every ounce of strength we had, yet we were powerless against those immense ships.” His eyes filled with tears, and he wiped them with the edge of his turban.
At that moment, Muhammad al-Fatih realized that Baltoghlu was not guilty of negligence or betrayal. He pardoned him, contenting himself with removing him from command, and appointed Hamza Pasha (Hamza Bey) as the new commander of the Ottoman naval forces.
Historical chronicles record that Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih observed naval battles with intense interest and personal involvement. Mounted on horseback, he would watch the fighting from the shore. On this occasion, he even rode his horse into the sea, drawing close to the Ottoman ships. Raising his voice, he addressed Baltoghlu directly and, with a commanding gesture, urged him to look toward his sovereign. The Ottomans renewed their efforts with renewed urgency, but the outcome remained unchanged.
The failure of the Ottoman navy stemmed from several factors. Among them was the influence of certain advisors, chiefly Khalil Pasha, who sought to dissuade the Sultan from pursuing the conquest of Constantinople. They urged him to abandon the siege, negotiate alternative terms, and withdraw without capturing the city. The Sultan, however, would accept nothing short of victory. He intensified his attacks on the city from all directions, while continuing to contemplate how the Ottoman fleet might yet reach the Golden Horn.
The walls facing the Golden Horn were notably lower than those elsewhere. The Sultan understood that if his ships could be brought into the inlet, the enemy would be forced to divide its defenses, weakening its western flank and exposing the city to decisive pressure.
Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih and an Unparalleled Military Feat
At this critical juncture, an extraordinary idea took shape in the Sultan’s mind. He resolved to transport the ships overland from the port of Beşiktaş to the Golden Horn. The question was not whether it could be done, but how. It was an undertaking so unprecedented that it seemed almost miraculous.
The Sultan ordered that the ships be hauled across the land between the two ports with absolute secrecy and vigilance, lest Genoese forces detect and disrupt the operation. The distance spanned nearly three miles, and the terrain was far from favorable, uneven, steep, and rugged, marked by hills, ravines, and rocky ground.
Muhammad al-Fatih summoned his military commanders and laid out his bold and unconventional plan. He explained his strategic vision and the direction from which the decisive blow would be struck. The commanders, recognizing the brilliance of the idea, unanimously endorsed it and praised the Sultan’s foresight.
Work began at once. The Sultan ordered the route to be prepared, and the army’s resolute soldiers set about executing their leader’s astonishing command. The ground was leveled with remarkable speed. Wooden planks were brought, coated generously with oil and wax, and laid across the prepared surface to allow the ships to slide smoothly.
The vessels were hauled from the Bosphorus and dragged across the greased planks to a secure location, safely beyond the reach of enemy attack. When night fell and darkness concealed their movements, the ships were quietly lowered into the waters of the Golden Horn. Their number exceeded seventy.
This was a feat without precedent in the annals of warfare, one unmatched by any ruler before him. While the enemy lay asleep in heedless complacency, Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih personally supervised the operation, watching as the ships passed unseen behind enemy lines. By dawn, the balance of the siege had shifted irreversibly, and Constantinople stood on the brink of its historic fate.