May 29 was the anniversary of the conquering and desolation of the great Christian city of Constantinople by the forces of Islam in 1453. The below historical descriptions of the pillaging and destruction by the Muslim invaders is remarkable for its similarity to the actions of the Islamic State and other jihadi groups today, and vividly illustrates the historical continuity of Islam’s treatment of Christians and other non-Muslims.
This continuity is the result of specific commands in the Quran, melded with the example of Muhammad, which gives Islam its inherently supremacist and warlike nature and mandate, to make the whole world submit to the rule of Allah.
The early twentieth century saw 4 million or more Orthodox and Eastern Christians martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ during the Armenian Genocide, which actually was part of a larger holocaust committed by the Turkish Muslims during the period from 1894-1922.
Now we see a new wave of genocide committed by Muslims against Christians at the start of the twenty-first. Historical continuity reveals much about Islam, its purpose, and its adherents…
Several thousand of the survivors had taken refuge in the cathedral: nobles, servants, ordinary citizens, their wives and children, priests and nuns. They locked the huge doors, prayed, and waited. {Caliph} Mahomet {II} had given the troops free quarter. They raped, of course, the nuns being the first victims, and slaughtered.
At least four thousand were killed before Mahomet stopped the massacre at noon. He ordered a muezzin {one who issues the call to prayer} to climb into the pulpit of St. Sophia and dedicate the building to Allah. It has remained a mosque ever since.
Fifty thousand of the inhabitants, more than half the population, were rounded up and taken away as slaves. For months afterward, slaves were the cheapest commodity in the markets of Turkey.
Mahomet asked that the body of the dead emperor be brought to him. Some Turkish soldiers found it in a pile of corpses and recognized Constantine {XI} by the golden eagles embroidered on his boots. The sultan ordered his head to be cut off and placed between the horse’s legs under the equestrian bronze statue of the emperor Justinian. The head was later embalmed and sent around the chief cities of the Ottoman empire for the delectation of the citizens.
Next, Mahomet ordered the Grand Duke Notaras, who had survived, be brought before him, asked him for the names and addresses of all the leading nobles, officials, and citizens, which Notaras gave him. He had them all arrested and decapitated. He sadistically bought from their owners {i.e., Muslim commanders} high-ranking prisoners who had been enslaved, for the pleasure of having them beheaded in front of him.
by Paul Fregosi, Jihad, pp. 256-7.
The Fateful Day
In the city everyone realized that the fateful moment had come. In the city, while the bells of the churches rang mournfully, citizens and soldiers joined a long procession behind the holy relics brought out of the churches. Singing hymns, men, women, children, soldiers, civilians, clergy, monks and nuns, knowing that they were going to die shortly, made peace with themselves, with God and with eternity.
When the procession ended the Emperor met with his commanders and the notables of the city. In a philosophical speech he told his subjects that the end of their time had come. In essence he told them that Man had to be ready to face death when he had to fight for his faith, for his country, for his family or for his sovereign. All four reasons were now present. Furthermore, his subjects, who were the descendants of Greeks and Romans, had to emulate their great ancestors. They had to fight and sacrifice themselves without fear. They had lived in a great city and they were now going to die defending it. As for himself, he was going to die fighting for his faith, for his city and for his people… He thanked all present for their contribution to the defense of the city and asked them to forgive him, if he had ever treated them without kindness.
Meanwhile the great church of Saint Sophia was crowded. Thousands of people were moving towards the church. Inside, Orthodox and Catholic priests were holding mass. People were singing hymns, others were openly crying, others were asking each other for forgiveness. Those who were not serving on the ramparts also went to the church, among them was seen, for a brief moment, the Emperor. People confessed and took communion. Then those who were going to fight rode or walked back to the ramparts.
From the great church the Emperor rode to the Palace at Blachernae. There he asked his household to forgive him. He bade the emotionally shattered men and women farewell, left his Palace and rode away, into the night, for a last inspection of the defense positions. Then he took his battle position.
The excesses which followed, during the early hours of the Ottoman victory, are described in detail by eyewitnesses… Bands of soldiers began now looting. Doors were broken, private homes were looted, their tenants were massacred. Shops in the city markets were looted. Monasteries and Convents were broken in. Their tenants were killed, nuns were raped, many, to avoid dishonor, killed themselves. Killing, raping, looting, burning, enslaving, went on and on… The troops had to satisfy themselves.
The great doors of Saint Sophia were forced open, and crowds of angry soldiers came in and fell upon the unfortunate worshippers. Pillaging and killing in the holy place went on for hours. Similar was the fate of worshippers in most churches in the city. Everything that could be taken from the splendid buildings was taken by the new masters of the Imperial capital. Icons were destroyed, precious manuscripts were lost forever. Thousands of civilians were enslaved, soldiers fought over young boys and young women. Death and enslavement did not distinguish among social classes. Nobles and peasants were treated with equal ruthlessness.
The Sultan entered the city in the afternoon of the first day of occupation. Constantinople was finally his and he intended to make it the capital of his mighty Empire. He toured the ruined city. He visited Saint Sophia which he ordered to be turned into a mosque. What he saw was desolation, destruction, death in the streets, ruins, desecrated churches…
by Dionysios Hatzopoulos
Professor of Classical and Byzantine Studies, and Chairman of Hellenic Studies Center at Dawson College, Montreal, and Lecturer at the Department of History at Universite de Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Posted on Romiosini: Hellenism In The Middle Ages http://www.greece.org/romiosini/fall.html
John C. Barile says
Islamic triumphs are an ongoing catalog of crimes. Only the highest heavens escape desolation, if only because these oh-so-devout brutes have not yet attained the means to reach them.
dumbledoresarmy says
Here in Australia – in terra australis incognita del espiritu santo – they must gnash their teeth in fury every time they look up at the night sky and see the Southern Cross soaring overhead, permanently inassailable.
Even if they tear down every cross on earth and smash it, they will never be able to drag the Southern Cross down out of the sky.
Jerry says
They may settle for their “second best” by destroying the Earth so that no one could see the “Southern Cross” any longer.
Richie says
Muslims want to do the exact same thing to Rome
mortimer says
…and to Paris and to London and to Copenhagen and to Washington, D.C. and to New York…especially to New York, the home of the UN.
ploome says
and again to Jerusalem….
with the help of Europe and America
Richie says
To this very day, notice how Muslims use absolute brutality when invading and occupying lands that were originally Christian, Jewish, Buddist or Hindu
Yet somehow, they push the narrative that Muslims are always the victims
Januk36 says
“Yet somehow, they push the narrative that Muslims are always the victims”
—
Woudln’t be effective without the “willing executioners”.
The worst enemy is within….
vlparker says
You got it. The cowards, the appeasers, 99.99% of our politicians and media make muslims the victims.
Huck Folder says
Combine the sinister left and islam and you get sinislam.
Angemon says
Funny thing about that book. It’s one of the few dedicated to jihad itself without trying to excuse it as a political construct to justify islamic expansion or framing it in a “defensive” paradigm.
reyol says
“He ordered a muezzin {one who issues the call to prayer} to climb into the pulpit of St. Sophia and dedicate the building to Allah.”
Proof here that Allah is not the same God as Yahweh. Obviously, a dedication to Allah was necessary because he was not previously worshiped there.
somehistory says
Absolutely!
albert says
The ” sweetest sound ” Barrack Hussein Obama has ever heard.
somehistory says
I’ve heard it, and it’s a disgusting sound. No sweetness, nothing to recommend it as it calls people to worship satan.
somehistory says
The devil and his slaves then, and continuing on with every opportunity now, to torture, kill or enslave those whom bring glory to our Heavenly Father.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
remarkable for its similarity to the actions of the Islamic State and other jihadi groups today, and vividly illustrates the historical continuity of Islam’s treatment of Christians and other non-Muslims.
If a clock ain’t broken, don’t fix it. Islam has been on a continuous victory roll since its “interfaith outreach” started soon after the Holy Prophet’s death. Actually, he started it when he took over Yathrib. So current day Mujahidin follow the same recipe as their predecessors the Companions back in the day, with the same successful results.
True, they’ve had a few setbacks, like getting thrown out of the Iberian Peninsula. But they were never unseated from the Balkans, and certainly not from the Maghreb.
Now, few doubt that the recently fallen Lebanon will remain Moslem forever. The only question of the viability of Islamization revolves around places like Malmo and Birmingham.
Reality is a bitch. Best to deny there’s a problem. Feels better.
Kepha says
Alarmed Pig Farmer:
Don’t forget that Islam also lost the Ukrainian Steppe and areas such as Uttar Pradesh, Eastern Punjab, and Bihar which had been the heartland of the Mughal Empire.. Part of its fury in Nigeria and elsewhere is that it is losing parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
profitsbeard says
“One of the prettiest sounds on Earth…” -BHO.
Islam_Is_Islam says
Gag–wretch–vomit. I cannot bear the sound of that man’s voice.
ploome says
have you noticed he hisses?
bobm says
it has always followed the image and degree of satans war against GOD… THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which finally sits on historys final chapter ; could we not perhaps say that the beast, antichrist, etc.; when all is said and done following the pattern of this war in powers and principalities written of from Genesis on….will climax in the return of Jesus before man is too hopelessly ost to ever recover… Hew will then finally and forever cast the antichrist and his mahdi and the devil into the pit.. it will indeed be FINISHED.
Matthieu Baudin says
Thankyou once again Ralph.
We now have to wonder, how awestruck is the Turkish population with the rejuvenated exploits of ISIS and their promised place within the new Caliphate.
albert says
On youtube there’s a resurgence of turkish videos celebrating the conquest of Constantinople and Erdogan addressed a rally of his supporters calling on Turkish youth to be like the soldiers of Mahommet ( whatever that means ) His guard of honour were dressed as Janissaries which I took to be a deliberate finger flip towards the Christian west.
maria says
I am a Greek-American. My parents are Greek immigrants. Most of my relatives are in Greece. They are terrified of Muslims and Mosques. Turks are known to have decapitated many Greek priests who rejected Islam and forcibly converted our churches in Anatolia to Mosques. Remember Anatolia was always a crossroads area (East meets West) with many ethnicities and backgrounds, There were many Greek and Armenian communities.
There are many Pakistani, Afghani, Middle eastern muslims in Athens today. Don’t ask me how they got there. Ask Turkey. The Greeks in Athens refuse to allow Mosques and minarets. They know what happens but they are getting a lot of complaints from the EU. I pray they stick it to the EU default and go back to the drachma. Fuck the EU and enormous bureaucratic state they created!
albert says
Here in UK all my friends support the Greeks, I hope they default on the payment and tell the EU to stuff their demands, Greece should sue the Germans for Reparations , Germany was rebuilt by the Marshall plan so they can pay to rebuild the Greek economy, we too hope this rotten socialist Islamocentric project called Eurabia collapses in ruins and the sooner the better.
Edward says
profitsbeard says June 4, 2015 at 6:32 pm
“One of the prettiest sounds on Earth…” – BHO.
That’s it, BHO is the anti-christ, the son of perdition!
“I’m the closest thing to a Jew that has ever sat in this office,” stated President Obama, according to his most senior adviser.” http://www.catholic.org/news/politics/story.php?id=60975
Or a man with a deep rooted ILLUSORY complex!
somehistory says June 4, 2015 at 2:34 pm
‘The devil and his slaves then, and continuing on with every opportunity now, to torture, kill or enslave those whom bring glory to our Heavenly Father.”
Definition corner –
————————————————————————————————–
anti-christ: an enemy of Christ or Christianity
perdition: a state of final spiritual ruin; loss of the soul; damnation.
illusory: causing illusion; deceptive; misleading
Buraq says
Wonderful article! More, please.
Aton says
You also need to highlight the Fall of Greek Smyrna (Izmir) under the Turkish hammer. This is not only more relevant to most people, because it happened in 1922, it is also the most brutal of the 20th century’s many genocides.
The account by George Horton, the USA consul to the Near East, is the most harrowing:
http://www.hri.org/docs/Horton/HortonBook.htm
Aton
albert says
You are right Aton that the fall of SMYRNA needs highlighting as there are echoes of today, this surely must be one of the most shameful episodes in the history of FRANCE, BRITAIN and the USA when warships from those three nations ( I am an Englishman ) anchored a few miles out and watched while Greeks, Armenians and arab Christians, men women and children were butchered on the beaches, That combined fleet could easily have blasted the Turks to Hell where they belonged yet did nothing. In his memoirs Attaturk later revealed that the Turks were to retreat if one shot was fired in their direction. SHAME SHAME SHAME. Now Obama, Cameron and all are doing the same thing watching while Christians are butchered from Aleppo to Baghdad. If the POPE had any guts and any convictions, indeed if he is a real Christian and not just some cleric in it for the easy life and salary he’d pick up his skirts and get out to Baghdad and stand and be prepared to die with his flock forcing the west to do something.
albert says
SMYRNA is called ISMIR now and is a holiday destination for tourists from Europe and North America, tourists lounge on the same beaches where thousands of Christians were slaughtered.
Personally I wouldn’t give the Turks spit.
somehistory says
Thanks for the extra lesson from history. It’s hard to find the truth of such things now, as islam has infiltrated everything with its twisted, distorted, lying view of what happened in each of these cities, in each of the horrendous atrocities.
So many say that the muslims were *liberating* as though the people wished to be slaughtered and enslaved.
People need to visit the actual library before the books on such things are burned in order to hide the truth.
Sam says
Of course in the Turkish history books the event is called “conquest” and atrocities detailed here are never mentioned. Most of the Turks have no idea about the Armenian Genocide either and believe that it is a made up story by the “enemies of Turkey”. How do I know? I am from Turkey originally and so sad that we are allowing Islam expand in America. What a f****** shame!
Proud Islamophobe says
Islamophobia: The thinking-person’s reaction to Infidelophobia.
marty says
The problem that the, nominally Christian, West has with Islam, is that it is in denial.
I have no religious reliefs and do not cut any slack to the religious in debate.
As a result, I can state with confidence, that Islam is quite simply pure, distilled, evil.
Of course there are plenty of muslims who are just brainwashed or uneducated, the
same could be said for Nazis and Communists.
However, Nazism and Communism were utterly evil in practice and faded away a serious beliefs
quite quickly, in historical terms.
The principles of Islam have barely changed since its invention, and remains what it was 15 hundred years ago. Repressive, misogynist, brutal, rapacious, lacking serious intellectual curiosity and above all enslaving.
It’s a disaster that Western Christians and Jews, plus persons of decent morals from all backgrounds don’t face up thse undeniable facts.
Truth Seeker says
The Entire Blame for the Fall of Constantinople Lies with European Christian Countries, mainly Britain France and Russia. In spite of requests from Emperor Constantine, they did not Act.
Unfortunately even today they don’t realise the danger for them from Islam.
Mark says
Islam = pure satanism.
Muslims = satan worshippers
Fawad Shams says
Not much difference in terms of treatment meted out to the conquered when Christian armies were conquering. The phenomenon is similar whenever done in the name of religion, whether by Islam, Christianity or any other faith – history is ripe with examples of brutality committed by all.