Ottoman forces intensified their bombardment of Constantinople's ancient walls in the final days before the city's fall.

Sultan Mehmed II ordered a day of rest before the final assault, as Byzantine defenders held a last solemn procession through Constantinople.

With Ottoman cannons pounding the walls, Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI led a final, emotional service inside Hagia Sophia before the city's last defense.

Ottoman forces under Sultan Mehmed II breached the walls of Constantinople after a 53-day siege, ending the 1,100-year-old Byzantine Empire.