Famous Muslim Built Cannon
Name: Often called the "Basilica" cannon,
or "The Great Turkish Bombard
🔥 Used at Constantinople 🔥
Built by:
🔸 Urban (also known as Orban), a Hungarian engineer
🔸 Financed and used by Sultan Mehmed II (Mehmed the Conqueror)
Materials & Design:
🔸 Cast from bronze
🔸 Weighed over 18 tons
🔸 Fired stone cannonballs weighing up to 600 kg (over 1,300 pounds)
🔸 Required 60 oxen and 400 men to transport
🔸 Barrel length: Over 27 feet (8.2 meters)
Effect on the Siege:
🔸 The Ottomans used multiple cannons, but the giant bombard shocked defenders
🔸 Fired only a few times a day (due to cooling) but caused devastating breaches
🔸 It helped bring down sections of the Theodosian Walls, long thought to be impenetrable
🔸 The cannon contributed emensly to the fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453
⚙️ Legacy:
-
Marked the end of the Byzantine Empire
-
Signaled the rise of gunpowder warfare
-
Ottoman Muslim's status changed to a Major World Power
