Ottoman military power relied on artillery, gunfounding, and disciplined firearms troops as much as cavalry. On September 26, 1687, during the Venetian siege of Ottoman-held Athens, a shell struck the Parthenon where the Ottomans stored gunpowder, causing the famous explosion that shattered the monument.
TOPHANE
Imperial gun foundries and artillery workshops helped make Ottoman siege warfare formidable.
TODAY IN HISTORY
1687
A Venetian bombardment ignited the Ottoman powder store inside the Parthenon.
ARTILLERY POWER & A RUINED MONUMENT
