Why was Constantinople conquered?
No matter what the empire, Constantinople has always been valuable to conquer due to its location. Constantinople, latter renamed Istanbul, meaning “in the city” by the Ottomans, is located on a strait that contains one of very few (I think there’s only 2) water routes between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. By controlling this waterway, the Ottomans could force taxes upon merchant’s ships. As far as land routes, Constantinople is on a thin strip of land, so there weren’t many ways around it. Once conquered, the Ottomans turned Constantinople into a lavish capital city, Istanbul. Overall, its all about location. Hope this helps!
