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Siege of Constantinople

Siege of Constantinople was a siege conducted on 15 July AD 717 at Constantinople, in what is now Turkey; it lasted 13 months. It was part of the Arab–Byzantine wars, which ran from AD 629 to 1050. The recorded result: Byzantine–Bulgarian victory. Recorded strength: 120,000 (al-Mas'udi); 1,800 ships (Theophanes) against about 15,000 Byzantines (estimate); about 12,000 Bulgars.

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Map of Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and its environs during Byzantine times.
Map of Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and its environs during Byzantine times.. Cplakidas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought15 July AD 717lasted 13 months
WhereConstantinople, Turkey41.013N, 28.975E
OutcomeByzantine–Bulgarian victory
BelligerentsUmayyad CaliphateagainstByzantine Empire; Bulgaria
Casualties and losses150,000 killed (Muslim sources); 300,000 killed (Western sources)andUnknown
Part ofArab–Byzantine warsAD 629 to 1050

Where it sits in the Arab–Byzantine wars

Battle of Mu'tah, AD 629Siege of Germanicia, AD 638Battle of Caesarea, AD 654Battle of the Masts, AD 655Siege of Constantinople, AD 674Cilician Campaign of Constantine IV, AD 684Caucasian Campaigns of Leontius, AD 686Battle of Sebastopolis, AD 692Battle of Marash, AD 694Heraclius' Syrian Campaign, AD 698Battle of Sis, AD 704Siege of Tyana, AD 707Battle of Amorium, AD 708Siege of Constantinople, AD 717Battle of Adrianópolis, AD 718Umayyad invasions of Asia Minor, AD 720Siege of Nicaea, AD 727Battle of Akroinon, AD 732Battle of Akroinon, AD 740Umayyad invasion of Asia Minor, AD 741Battle of Keramaia, AD 746Battle of Melas River, AD 759Siege of Kamacha, AD 766Battle of Syca, AD 771Siege of Ancyra, AD 776Germanikeia Campaign, AD 778Abbasid invasion of Asia Minor, AD 779Abbasid invasion of Asia Minor, AD 780Battle of Caesarea, AD 781Abbasid invasion of Asia Minor, AD 782Battle of Kopidnadon, AD 788Battle of Gulf of Attaleia, AD 790Capture of Thebasa, AD 793Battle of Anusan, AD 795Abbasid invasion of Asia Minor, AD 798Battle of Krasos, AD 804Abbasid invasion of Asia Minor, AD 806Battle of the Cilician Gates, AD 807Battle of Ancyra, AD 825Battle of Charsianon, AD 831Abbasid invasion of Asia Minor, AD 831Capture of Loulon, AD 832Siege of Arsamosata, AD 837Battle of Anzen, AD 838Sack of Amorium, AD 838Abū Sa'īd's invasions of Asia Minor, AD 839Battle of Taranto, AD 840Battle of Sansego, AD 842Battle of Mauropotamos, AD 844Sack of Damietta, AD 853Siege of Samosata, AD 859Battle of Chonarion, AD 860Capture of Farurriyah, AD 862Battle of Lalakaon, AD 863Siege of Ragusa, AD 866Battle of Bathys Ryax, AD 872Battle of Kardia, AD 872Battle of the Gulf of Corinth, AD 873Thughur Campaign of Basil I, AD 873Battle of the Cilician Gates, AD 878Battle of Podandus, AD 878Germanikeia Campaign, AD 879Battle of Cephalonia, AD 880Battle of Stelai, AD 880Siege of Euripos, AD 880Campaign of Melitene, AD 882Battle of Chrysoboullon, AD 883Sack of Thessalonica, AD 904Siege of Dvin, AD 927Battle of Charpete, AD 938John Kourkouas' Mesopotamian campaign, AD 942Battle of Germanikeia, AD 949Battle of Bouqa, AD 949Siege of Theodosiopolis, AD 949Battle of the Lycus, AD 950Battle of Darb al-Kankarun, AD 950Battle of Gerace, AD 952Battle of Marash, AD 953Siege of Hadath, AD 955Battle of Arghana, AD 956Battle of Raban, AD 958Siege of Naples, AD 958Battle of Andrassos, AD 960Sack of Aleppo, AD 962Siege of Rometta, AD 963Battle of the Straits, AD 965Siege of Antioch, AD 968Siege of Antioch, AD 970Battle of Alexandretta, AD 971Battle of Amida, AD 972Syrian campaigns of John Tzimiskes, AD 974Syrian Campaigns of Bardas Phokas the Younger, AD 981Siege of Aleppo, AD 994Battle of the Orontes, AD 994Battle of Apamea, AD 998Siege of Tripoli, AD 999Battle of Azaz, 1030Sieges of Berkri, 1034Capture of Palermo, 1036Siege of Edessa, 1036Capture of Messina, 1038Battle of Rometta, 1038Battle of Dranginai, 1040Siege of Messina, 1041Laodikeia Campaign, 1050Siege of Medina, 1053Siege of Manbij, 1075AD 6291075Siege of Constantinople, AD 717
107 placed engagements of the Arab–Byzantine wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date15 July AD 717
to 15 August AD 718
PlaceConstantinople, Turkey
41.013N, 28.975E
KindSiege, medieval
Strength120,000 (al-Mas'udi); 1,800 ships (Theophanes)about 15,000 Byzantines (estimate); about 12,000 Bulgars
Casualties and losses150,000 killed (Muslim sources); 300,000 killed (Western sources)Unknown
Commanders
  • Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik
  • Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz
  • Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik
  • Umar ibn Hubayra
  • Abdallah al-Battal
  • Leo III the Isaurian
  • Tervel of Bulgaria
Siege of ConstantinopleSiege of ConstantinopleSiege of ConstantinopleSiege of ConstantinopleSiege of ConstantinopleSiege of ConstantinopleSiege of ConstantinopleSiege of ConstantinopleBursaAdapazarıİzmitTekirdağLüleburgazKırklareliBilecik100 km41.013N, 28.975E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Siege of Constantinople
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Siege of Constantinople today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2025-07-22. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025.

The recorded site stands at about 41 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -14 to 133 m, 147 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 55% water, 38% built-up, 4% tree cover.

water: 55%built-up: 38%tree cover: 4%water 55%built-up 38%tree cover 4%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 74 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 90 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 43 times between 510 BC and 1453.

In the same war

Elsewhere in AD 717

Siege of Constantinople is one of 158 engagements of the 8th century in the atlas and one of 687 in present-day Turkey.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q27900, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Constantinople (717–718), revision 1371118294, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.