Part 36
By Harith Ubaidah
The Sudden Assault of the Ottoman Armies
To breach the city, the Ottomans adopted a calculated and innovative strategy. They constructed a massive, towering mobile fortress out of wooden planks. This moving structure consisted of three levels and stood higher than the city’s defensive walls. It was covered with garments made from soaked fabric to prevent it from catching fire. Soldiers were positioned on every level, while skilled archers occupied the top tier, taking aim at anyone who dared raise his head above the battlements.
As the Ottomans advanced with this formidable structure, fear spread through the hearts of the city’s defenders. The Muslim forces maneuvered the mobile fortress close to the walls near the Gate of Romanus. Emperor Constantine personally advanced with his senior commanders in an attempt to halt the fortress’s progress and push it back from the walls. A violent clash erupted between the soldiers stationed inside the fortress and the defending forces beyond the walls, quickly escalating into an intense and chaotic battle. Amid this turmoil, the Muslims who had previously been trapped within the fortifications broke through the barriers, emerged from confinement, and regained their freedom.
Constantine became increasingly certain that defeat was unavoidable. Nevertheless, the besieged defenders launched repeated assaults against the fortress, and the damage soon became evident. The mobile structure caught fire, burned fiercely, and nearly collapsed onto the Byzantine towers. The defending soldiers inside the fortress were killed, and the ditch beneath it was filled with stones and earth. Despite this setback, the Ottomans did not succumb to despair. They continued their efforts with unwavering determination. Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih, who witnessed these events firsthand, declared with resolve: “Tomorrow, we will construct four more mobile fortresses like this.”
The siege grew longer and more brutal, pushing the Byzantines steadily toward exhaustion and collapse. On May 24, the city’s commanders convened a council in the imperial palace, with Emperor Constantine himself in attendance. The atmosphere of the meeting was heavy with despair, as all present sensed dark clouds of hopelessness looming over the city. Some advisors urged the emperor to abandon Constantinople before it fell and to escape while there was still time. Constantine firmly rejected this proposal and announced his determination to remain in the city. He declared that he would stand with his subjects until death. With that, the meeting concluded, and the emperor left the palace to personally inspect the walls and fortresses.
Rumors began to circulate throughout the city, and the morale of the defenders gradually eroded. Among the most significant of these rumors emerged on the 16th of Jumada al-Awwal, corresponding to May 25. It was reported that the defenders had taken out the statue of Bibi Maryam (peace be upon her), carried it through the streets, and prayed for divine assistance against the Muslims. Suddenly, the statue slipped from their hands, fell to the ground, and shattered into pieces. For the Christians, this was no ordinary incident. It was seen as a grave omen, pointing toward an impending and dangerous fate. The people of the city were deeply shaken, and the defensive forces in particular became overwhelmed with anxiety.
The following day, on May 26, another unsettling event occurred. A heavy downpour drenched the city, lightning flashed across the sky, and a bolt of what was perceived as heavenly fire descended and visibly struck the roof of Hagia Sophia. The bishop, the chief priest of the church, interpreted this as a dire omen for the city. He went directly to the imperial court and told the emperor that Allah Almighty had withdrawn His support, and that the city would soon fall into the hands of the Ottoman army. Upon hearing this pronouncement, the emperor was overcome with distress and lost consciousness.
Meanwhile, the Ottoman artillery maintained relentless barrages of cannon fire, pounding the walls and fortifications without pause. The defensive walls cracked and split in numerous places. Ottoman forces crossed the ditch surrounding the fortifications, bringing them ever closer to entering the city. The possibility of a breach became increasingly real, yet the exact point from which the decisive assault would occur remained unknown. No one could determine from which direction the final strike would come.
Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih was fully confident that Constantinople would fall, yet he was not inclined toward unnecessary bloodshed. His objective was to capture the city without prolonged combat and to enter it peacefully. He sent a letter addressed to the emperor, urging him to surrender the city to the Ottomans without bloodshed. He assured Constantine and his companions that no harm would come to them, that they would be free to travel wherever they wished without obstruction, that no blood would be shed within the city, that no one would be mistreated, and that the people would be given the choice either to remain in Constantinople or to depart.
When the emperor received the letter, he convened a council and presented the offer to the people. Some argued in favor of surrendering the city to the Ottomans, while others insisted on defending it until death. Ultimately, Constantine chose the path of war. In his reply to Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih, he wrote:
“I thank Allah that the Sultan seeks peace. I will willingly pay tribute to the Sultan. But as for Constantinople, I swear that I shall defend it until death. Either I will succeed in preserving the capital, or I will be buried beneath its walls.”
When this response reached Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih, he declared with solemn resolve:
“Very soon, either the throne of Constantinople will be mine, or this city will become my grave.”
