Panorama 1453 History Museum

The Panorama 1453 Historical Museum is a historical museum in Istanbul that opened on 31 January 2009. This museum shows the conquering of the city of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire, by the troops of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror on 29 May 1453. The museum is located close to the point where the Ottomans breached the walls. Its main exhibit is a 360° "panorama" painting, (also known as a Cyclorama) of the battlefield at the time the walls were breached, giving the visitor the impression they are standing in the middle of the battle. The painting is made and presented in such a way that the visitor appears to be at the centre of a huge space rather than a circle only 38m in diameter. Sound effects add to the illusion - there is the sound of guns firing, of soldiers shouting and a military band playing to urge on the troops.