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How did Mehmed II move Ottoman ships into the Golden Horn during the siege of 1453?
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Byzantine Empire
The Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child (centre), Justinian (left) holding a model of the Hagia Sophia, and Constantine (right) holding a model of the city of Constantinople; mosaic from the Hagia Sophia, 9th century.
To bypass the large metal chain that the Byzantines had drawn across the mouth of the Golden Horn to block naval access, Sultan Mehmed II devised a plan to transport his smaller vessels overland.
He ordered the construction of an oiled wooden ramp leading from the Bosporus to the Golden Horn. By April 22, 1453, Ottoman forces successfully dragged their ships across this path, effectively circumventing the defensive chain and allowing the sultan to seize control of the waters surrounding the city.12