# @itsaihistory on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DQQWMn4DST7
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/61744773-itsaihistory-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/1f01454a93.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-10-26T02:19:14.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Parker Gordon (@itsaihistory) — https://gondola.cc/itsaihistory

## Caption

🏰 💣 The Fall of Constantinople | Part 2 — Orban’s Great Bombard (1453)

Why this clip matters:
My focus here is recoil and wall damage. If you see any remaining discrepancies, please comment so I can keep improving the realism.

Who was Orban?
Orban, also called Urban, was a Hungarian engineer. He first offered his giant cannon design to Emperor Constantine XI. The Byzantines could not pay. He then approached Sultan Mehmed II, who funded a new foundry in Adrianople and had the bronze monsters cast.

How did it work?
The Great Bombard was about 27 feet long and fired 600 kg stone balls for over a mile. It was positioned roughly 400–500 m from the Theodosian Walls, overlooking the Lycus Valley. Each blast shook the ground. The gun kicked backward on timber skids, and crews re-chocked and realigned it before the next load. They fired only a few times per day to avoid cracking the barrel.

What damage did it cause?
Impacts fractured the outer stone facing and mortar of the Theodosian Walls. Damage built slowly — cracks spread, chunks fell, and the defenders’ repairs could not keep pace.

How it changed warfare:
Gunpowder artillery proved it could bring down even ancient walls. This marked the twilight of medieval fortifications and the rise of siege guns.

  #history #itsaihistory #turkey #ottomans #romanempire #europe #europeanhistory #istanbul

## Stats

- **Views:** 360,111
- **Likes:** 17,412
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 187

## Tags

romanempire, ottomans, istanbul, europe, history, europeanhistory, itsaihistory, turkey

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