The world owes much of its cultural legacy to Constantinople's walls. When Constantinople was under seige by neighboring enemies, the Roman city's elaborate system of moats, outer walls, and inner walls stood tall. Surviving numerous...

Constantinople was one of the most important cities in history, linking Europe and Asia for over a thousand years. Founded by Emperor Constantine and known as the “New Rome,” it became the capital of the mighty Byzantine Empire. Its...

I didn’t want to make this video, for a long time. Not because Constantine XI is some drab old king bogged down in meaningless politics, of course, but because I was honestly afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do this story justice,...

Most history books will tell you that the Roman Empire fell in the fifth century CE, but this would've come as a surprise to the millions who lived in the Roman Empire through the Middle Ages. This Medieval Roman Empire, today called the...

The Hagia Sophia is a super famous building in Istanbul. Officially, at least according to the Turkish government, it is a museum. But it was originally built as a church and then was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of...

Constantine's death would drive a crack through the Roman Empire, splitting it into West and East. Over the next several hundred years, parts of it would even fall to foreign invaders. But a new capital would rise to take its place:...

In which John Green teaches you about the fall of the Roman Empire, which happened considerably later than you may have been told. While the Western Roman Empire fell to barbarians in 476 CE, the Byzantines in Constantinople continued...

Watch Hikma History's video here! • How The Ottomans ...

So get this: 1444, Ottoman Sultan Murad II signs a peace deal with Hungary and then decides that’s it, his work here is done, the empire is saved forever, and gives the...

Were they Emperor Basil II's greatest enemy? - Battle of Setina, 1017 AD

Battle of Pliska, 811 AD Trapped in the Balkan Mountains DOCUMENTARY

Battle for Survival How did Alexios Komnenos save the Byzantine Empire? DOCUMENTARY

Battle of Achelous, 917 AD Byzantine Empire sets out to punish Simeon of Bulgaria DOCUMENTARY

The Council of Ephesus meant to heal a rift between Nestorius of Constantinople and Cyril of Alexandria, but instead it set off a chain of ecumenical councils that disagreed with each other, excommunicated rivals, and ultimately led to...