This panorama provides some insight into the complex mix of cultures and traditions of the city. Behind the Ottoman riders, the history of the city seems to move from right to left: newer mosques and Ottoman Islamic architecture are on the left, while the right features older Roman buildings. There are, however, more structures in the image that hint at the city’s diversity, such as the Hagia Sophia representing Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions, and even an Egyptian-inspired obelisk.
<<ALT TAG: This is a panorama sketch of the ancient city.>>
According to one observer, Mehmed II’s conquest of the city made blood run “like rainwater in the gutters after a sudden storm.” Despite this violent beginning, Mehmed sought to revitalise the city. He made it the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and enforced policies to ensure population growth. He also built upon its cosmopolitan origins by not only encouraging immigration, but also by surrounding himself with advisors and courtiers from Europe and the Middle East.
<<ALT TAG: This painting depicts Mehmed on a white horse, leading his troops through an arch in the city.>>
Several times in its long history, Constantinople had reached a population of 500 000. During its golden eras, it was a center of art, architecture, and trade, a place where traditions of the west and the east mingled. Thanks to conquest and plague, its population in 1450 was around 50 000. When the city fell to Mehmed II and the Ottomans in 1453, the invading force outnumbered the entire population. Still, hints of the city’s cosmopolitan origins persisted. At the time of the conquest, the small population of Constantinople consisted of Greeks, Slavs, Turks, Venetians, and descendants of the Crusaders. This map is the oldest surviving map of the city, and the only one from before the conquest of the Ottomans.
<<ALT TAG: This map features some roads and buildings, but clearly focuses on important landmarks, such as the city walls.>>