How did Mehmed II use bombards during the fall of Constantinople?

During the 1453 siege of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II utilized large bombards—massive siege cannons designed to hurl heavy stones—to overcome the city’s legendary defenses. Recognizing that the Byzantine Empire’s formidable walls required immense force to demolish, Mehmed commissioned the Hungarian gunsmith Urban to construct artillery powerful enough to breach them.1234

Mehmed’s strategy involved a relentless, systematic artillery barrage. By April 1453, these cannons were positioned outside the city, and the Ottomans began firing daily to batter the land walls. While the defenders initially managed to repair damaged sections at night, the sustained bombardment eventually created multiple breaches.54

This application of heavy siege artillery marked a turning point in military science, effectively ending the era of the impenetrable medieval curtain wall. By successfully breaching the fortifications, Mehmed II secured the fall of Constantinople, brought the Byzantine Empire to an end, and established the foundation for future Ottoman power.1