istanbul1453.ad.com CITY OF TRANSFORMATION An imperial threshold—where Constantinople passed from Byzantine to Ottoman rule and a new chapter began across two continents. A timestamp of conquest, continuity and renewal. OTTOMAN CAPITAL — 1453 AD This vault preserves 29 May 1453, when Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople, bringing the Byzantine Empire to an end and establishing the city as the heart of the Ottoman world. Hagia Sophia, the Theodosian Walls, the Golden Horn and the Bosporus witnessed a profound transfer of power. The city was not erased—it was reshaped, repopulated and renewed. Across the centuries, Constantinople continued its extraordinary journey toward the Istanbul known throughout the world today: a sovereign city where civilizations meet and history never stands still.