“You can’t go back” – the fall of Constantinopole
I just learned that tomorrow is the 573rd anniversary of the fall of Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire was no more, and the great city was now in the hands of the Ottoman Empire, as a result of military conquest after a siege of close to two months. It was both a religious turning point and a more general historical turning point:
The attacking Ottoman Army, significantly outnumbered Constantinople’s defenders …
The fall of Constantinople and of the Byzantine Empire was a watershed moment of the Late Middle Ages, marking the effective end of the Roman Empire, a state which began in roughly 27 BC and had lasted nearly 1,500 years. For many modern historians, the fall of Constantinople marks the end of the medieval period and the beginning of the early modern period. The city’s fall also stood as a turning point in military history. Since ancient times, cities and castles had depended upon ramparts and walls to repel invaders. The walls of Constantinople, especially the Theodosian walls, protected Constantinople from attack for 800 years and were noted as some of the most advanced defensive systems in the world at the time. However, these fortifications were overcome by Ottoman infantry with the support of gunpowder, specifically from cannons and bombards, heralding a change in siege warfare.
But I first learned about this as a child through a rather silly song, popular in 1953. I was exceedingly young, but popular music nevertheless still seeped down to me, and the song was very catchy:
“Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” is a 1953 novelty song, with lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy and music by Nat Simon. It was written on the 500th anniversary of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans. The lyrics humorously refer to the official renaming of the city of Constantinople to Istanbul. The song’s original release, performed by The Four Lads, was certified as a gold record.
The lyrics can be found here, and they treat the whole thing like a light joke. Back in 1953 it must have seemed that way to most of the Western world. But who’s laughing now? An excerpt:
Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it’s Turkish delight on a moonlit night
(Oh) every gal in Constantinople
(Oh) lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
(Oh) so if you’ve a date in Constantinople
(Oh) she’ll be waiting in Istanbul …So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can’t go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That’s nobody’s business but the Turks’
Actually, it’s everybody’s business these days – and by “it” we’re not talking about Constantinople/Istanbul per se. We’re talking about the Muslim world versus the Christian world (and the Jews, of course). We’re talking about various kinds of conquest and not just the military kind – perhaps not even primarily the military kind. The siege involves the human mind, and it’s been going on far longer than two months. The main fronts are academia, the press, and politics.
NOTE: Here’s the original song:
The anniversary of Constatinople’s fall merits the reposting of the following from the previous thread:
Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Byzantine emperor, died a hero’s death. Just before the Turks’ final assault the famous elite contingent of Genoese crossbowmen, who had fought valoriously for the emperor throughout the siege, but had determined to escape the doomed city while they still could, offered Constantine a place on one of their ships and asylum in Genoa. The emperor refused their offer, saying that he would fight to the death with his people, on the now-broken walls of his once-fair city. When it was apparent that all was lost, and hordes of Turks were pouring over battlements, he case aside his imperial regalia and wading to the think of the fighting, never to be seen again. After the battle ended the Turks tried to find and identify his body, but could not. The valiant emperor had disappeared into history.
In the aftermath of the battle the Turkish sultan, Mehmed II — only 22 years old and a vicious pederast — loosed his troops on the city in an orgy of rapine, violence, and destruction. One of the Byzantine nobles was brought with his young son before the sultan, then seated in splendor on a throne set up to celebrate his triumph with appropriate majesty and ceremony. The sultan offered to spare their lives if they publicly converted to Islam. The father and his son refused to convert, and were executed forthwith — although it is said that Mehmed raped the boy before having him beheaded. Very likely this is a true story. Mehmed was well known for his penchant for having sex with young boys..
It is the descendants of Mehmed and his people who have defiled, and continue to defile, one of the holiest and most beautiful churches in the world by using it as a mosque.
I have heard that song. Never understood the words ’til now.
“We’re talking about various kinds of conquest and not just the military kind”
Immigrate, have lots of children, get elected. Take over without firing a shot.
I just learned that today is the 573rd anniversary of the fall of Constantinople.
________
Tomorrow. May 29.
Today is also marked as the day of “Thales’ Eclipse” in 585 BC.
Some say (following Isaac Asimov, I’m told) this is the earliest known exact day of an historical event, namely of the day a war between the Medes and Lydians was halted by mutual agreement on account of the gods turning day into night. So goes Herodotus’ account, anyhow — but then, Herodotus is well known himself as “The Father of
HistoryLies“.I totally remember that song! I think I must have heard it first in school, maybe the first time learning world history, like 4th grade? Would have been around 1964 or 1965. I used to sing it to my boys. This is honestly the first time in my life I’ve ever heard anyone else refer to it.
Eeyore:
Oopsies, fixed.
I first heard it on the old Dr. Demento radio show, which was a great source of musical artifacts (in addition to silly songs and lots of Weird Al). Here’s a really good version by They Might Be Giants:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XlO39kCQ-8&theme=dark
“They Might Be Giants” released a cover version in 1990. It’s got a faster beat and the violin gives it a klezmer feel. The animation is delightfully weird.
–They Might Be Giants, “Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (Official Music Video)”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XlO39kCQ-8
The Muslims might have been pushed out of Constantinople in the 19th century but apparently the British and French preferred them to Russia.
Reading the lyrics I was wondering how they jam all those syllables in.
Tonally, there is the middle eastern inflection. But rhythmically, it reminds me very much of “Puttin On the Ritz” with an extra beat or two thrown in. The verse section does anyway. All those syllables!
The Turks were not the first conquerors to sack Constantinople and defile Hagia Sophia with rape, looting and murder; that distinction is held by Crusaders instigated by the Venetians to reimburse them for their transport costs, as documented by an eyewitness named Niketas Choniates in 1204.
Condemned at the time by Pope Innocent III, but celebrated by a 1580 Tintoretto painting in the Doge’s Palace, which is well worth seeing if you are in the neighborhood, as is all the stuff the Venetians looted such as the iconic horses of St Mark, which Napoleon looted in turn but were eventually sent back to Venice. The horses have collars now because the Venetians had to cut their heads off to fit them in their ships.
My personal favorite is the statue of the Four Tetrarchs, missing a foot of one of the Emperors, and this foot was just recently rediscovered in Istanbul.
Of course some of that stuff had got to Constantinople as loot in the first place.
The roots of the crimean war were kind of tangled of course it had been nearly two hundred years since vienna and nearly three hundred since lepanto (where my namesake fought and ended up in an algerian dungeon) the crimea was the prize of the second russian war with turkey under catherines protege potemkin
One of many wars they fought including a subsequent war in the balkan war along with the second world war over that territory (why russians are reluctant to give it up)
The would be sultan erdogan sees himself in the light of s conqueror although its interesting how he views the conflict with Persia
Here’s another Constantinople song from 1928 from the Paul Whiteman Orchestra with among others a young Bing Crosby and Bix Beiderbecke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKjwqo8GcLE&list=RDBKjwqo8GcLE&start_radio=1
I remember the song!
I’m glad I was able to see Istanbul before Erdogan took over Turkey. I sat and drank coffee at the top of the Golden Horn looking down at the Byzantine city.