<P> In preparation for the final assault, Mehmed had an artillery train of seventy large pieces dragged from his headquarters at Edirne, in addition to the bombards cast on the spot . </P> <P> Mehmed planned to attack the Theodosian Walls, the intricate series of walls and ditches protecting Constantinople from an attack from the West, the only part of the city not surrounded by water . His army encamped outside the city on the Monday after Easter, 2 April 1453 . </P> <P> The bulk of the Ottoman army were encamped south of the Golden Horn . The regular European troops, stretched out along the entire length of the walls, were commanded by Karadja Pasha . The regular troops from Anatolia under Ishak Pasha were stationed south of the Lycus down to the Sea of Marmara . Mehmed himself erected his red - and - gold tent near the Mesoteichion, where the guns and the elite regiments, the Janissaries, were positioned . The Bashi - bazouks were spread out behind the front lines . Other troops under Zagan Pasha were employed north of the Golden Horn . Communication was maintained by a road that had been constructed over the marshy head of the Horn . </P> <P> The city had about 20 km of walls (land walls: 5.5 km; sea walls along the Golden Horn: 7 km; sea walls along the Sea of Marmara: 7.5 km), one of the strongest sets of fortified walls in existence . The walls had recently been repaired (under John VIII) and were in fairly good shape, giving the defenders sufficient reason to believe that they could hold out until help from the West arrived . In addition, the defenders were relatively well - equipped with a fleet of 26 ships: 5 from Genoa, 5 from Venice, 3 from Venetian Crete, 1 from Ancona, 1 from Aragon, 1 from France, and about 10 Byzantine . </P>

How did byzantium's first great conflict with islam shape the empire