Constantinople; the capital of Constantine XI's Byzantine Empire; was captured by Sultan Mehmet II and his Ottoman armies after a seven-week siege. Mehmet had applied pressure on Constantinople and the Byzantines by building forts along the Dardanelles. On 5 April; he laid siege to Constantinople with an army numbering 80;000 to 200;000 men. Constantine reportedly fell leading a charge against the invaders; though his body was never found. The last defenders were killed and the Turks proceeded to loot the city. The battle brought down the 1;100-year Byzantine Empire and is seen by many scholars as marking the end of the Middle Ages.