The term fall of Constantinople refers to an event that took place on May 29, 1453, when this Byzantine city was taken over by the Ottoman Turks led by Sultan Mehmed II.
The fall of Constantinople was a profoundly remarkable event for the fifteenth century, traditionally used by historians to mark the transition point between the Middle Ages and the Modern Age. With difficulty finding their way to Asia, the European kingdoms would look for other trade routes, a process that would eventually lead to the Grand Navigation and the discovery of the Americas.