Siege

Historical Note

The major events and characters in Siege are real. The historic Longo was a Genoese lord and mercenary who Constantine elected to lead the defence of the city. His adversary, the Sultan Mehmed, was a young man who had been driven from the throne at an early age and wanted to prove himself by taking the queen of cities, Constantinople — kizil elma or the 'red apple', as the Turks called it. The characters of Constantine, Notaras, Sofia, Gennadius, Dalmata, Ulu, Sitt Hatun and Gulbehar are also based on real people. William, Tristo and Isa are the only purely fictional characters in the book, but each could have existed — English prisoners were occasionally sold at the slave markets in Constantinople; as a lord and soldier, Longo would have needed a lieutenant like Tristo; and poison dealers like Isa also existed, particularly in the Muslim world and the East, where techniques to distil and separate chemicals were more advanced. The white powder and the liquid that Isa uses in the book are both forms of cyanide, which was obtained at the time from cherry laurel leaves. The antidote given to Mehmed would have been a solution of hot water, sugar and saltpetre, the chief component of gunpowder.

The events leading to Constantinople's fall in 1453 happened much as I describe them: the last crusade was crushed at the battle of Kossova; Constantine's brothers did plot for the throne. While I simplified the theological disputes, the conflict over Union was a very real factor leading to the fall of Constantinople. The siege of Constantinople was spectacular: it needed little embellishment on my part. The chain across the harbour, the giant Turkish cannons, the transport of the Turkish ships over land, the Turkish tunnels into the city and the bridge over the Golden Horn are all authentic. Constantine's farewell to his household is also based on history, and I drew on his actual words in recounting his final speech to his troops. The siege was so action-packed that I had to omit a few battles. I combined two of the Turks' early attacks into one, and left out a night assault when they brought huge towers up against the walls. The only other major change was to make Longo arrive with the ships that fought their way through the Turkish fleet. In reality he arrived at the start of the siege.

I followed the historical record closely in reconstructing the final battle. The Turks did attack in three waves: bazibozouks, Anatolian cavalry, then janissaries. Longo was forced to leave the walls after being injured by a cross-bow bolt. Still the city's defenders seemed to have won the day until the Turks gained access to the city through the Kerkoporta. The Christian lines broke when they saw a Turkish flag flying from the ramparts behind them. To this day no one knows why the Kerkoporta was left open, whether it was a simple mistake, a chance of fate or treachery. After the city's fall, Mehmed had his grand vizier Halil executed. Again no one knows precisely why.

The history of the siege remains very much alive in the modern city of Istanbul. You can still walk the full length of the land walls and, at certain points, you can climb atop them and look out upon the plain where Mehmed's army once sat. Near the middle of the walls, keep your eyes open for the gate which is named after Ulu, who really was the first Turk to breach the city walls. You can explore the ruins of the Blachernae palace. Gennadius's monastery — the Church of Saint Saviour Pantocrator — still stands, although it is now the mosque Zeyrek Camii. The cisterns underneath the mosque have been filled in, but you can visit another Roman cistern near the modern bazaar which encompasses the 'Street of the Colonnade', where William was held prisoner upon his arrival in the city. And, of course, the Haghia Sofia still stands as the glory of Istanbul.

The Topkapi palace did not exist at the time of the siege, but is well worth a visit. When you enter through the Imperial Gate, look directly above you for the seal of Mehmed, who began construction of the palace shortly after conquering Constantinople. The inscription above the seal reads: 'By the Grace of God, and by His approval, the foundations of this auspicious castle were laid, and its parts were solidly joined together to strengthen peace and tranquility… May God make eternal his empire, and exalt his residence above the most lucid stars of the firmament.' The palace was greatly expanded by later sultans, but its basic layout remains the same as in Mehmed's time. In the palace's portrait gallery, there is a painting of Mehmed by the Venetian Gentile Bellini. You can also visit the palace harem, a more ornate version of the structures found in Edirne and Manisa during Mehmed's time.

While the framework for the story is fact, Siege is a work of fiction and should be read as such. The personalities, motivations, plots and loves of the characters are fictional. Longo's quest for revenge is my addition. While a princess Sofia did exist, the particulars of her character and certainly her affair with Longo are fictional. (What is true is that in 1469 a young Byzantine princess named Sofia — her daughter, in my story — married Ivan the Great, the first Tsar of Russia.) History tells us that Halil really was at odds with Mehmed and Gennadius was a firm opponent of the Union of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. However, the plots and conspiracies they hatch in Siege are of my own invention. The Turkish harem certainly was a place of intrigue, a strange mix of people where everyone strove to rise from jariye slave girl, to odalisque at the court of a favourite, to lover of the Sultan and perhaps even mother of one of his sons. Mehmed really did have his young rivals drowned when he came to power, and there are stories of unfortunate harem women being placed in sacks and thrown into the sea. Again, however, the particular plots of Sitt Hatun and Gulbehar are of my own imagining. In this spirit, all of these characters should be treated as fictional, as should their story.