The Gallipoli Crossing: How the Ottomans Got a Foothold in Europe

In 1354, a catastrophic earthquake leveled the walls of Gallipoli, and the Ottoman Turks, led by Prince Süleyman Paşa, walked into a ghost town that would become their first permanent foothold in Europe. This episode unpacks the dramatic Orhan Gazi-era crossing, the role of the earthquake as a turning point, the legend of Süleyman Paşa's death, and how a small coastal fortress set the stage for the conquest of Constantinople a century later. We explore the Byzantine civil wars that invited Ottoman intervention, the contrast between Orhan's deliberate expansion and his son's impulsive courage, and the lasting strategic significance of the Dardanelles crossing.

#OttomanEmpire #Gallipoli #OrhanGazi #SüleymanPaşa #ByzantineCivilWar #Dardanelles #1354Earthquake #Cantacuzenos #ÇimpeCastle #Rumelia #Thrace #MedievalHistory #TurkishHistory #Constantinople #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast #MiddleEast

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