On this day, 29 May, in 1453 the Roman Empire finally died as the last vestige of the Roman Empire of the East fell. Constantinople was lost to the Turks save for a couple of minor despotates.

This documentary is from the amzing BBC Chronicle series and dates to 1967. If you read the comments on You Tube, most think this more informative and refreshing than the more modern and dramatic type of documentary.

John Julius Norwich tells the dramatic story of the fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, followed by the rise of the Ottoman Turks in the 15th Century. Using monuments in Istanbul to show the formidable artistic and intellectual achievements of the Byzantines, Norwich vividly describes the last scenes of Greek Orthodox Christianity from within the Hagia Sophia. Norwich describes the calamitous scenes of the last progress of the sacred icons around Constantinople (Istanbul).

If you’d like to read more about the Fall I wrote a series of articles on my much neglected Byzantine blog which you can find here. It was John Julius Norwich and his books about Byzantium that finally led me to Paddy.