ABSTRACT
The court persisted and an embassy was authorized to blame the alleged schemes of a vizier who had, in the meantime, died. Murad may have decided to pay back the court by encouraging a pretender to the Byzantine throne. Murad's artillery was not powerful enough to demolish the formidable walls, especially the Great Wall; the outer line of fortifications felt the brunt, where some towers collapsed and extensive emergency repairs had to be carried out. Murad was informed by Aliazes, the sarabdar, of the young man's sojourn in the city. Murad had been repelled from the walls of the capital and the young emperor had joined forces with yet another rival for the Ottoman throne. Constantinople had prevailed in the siege and then challenged Murad with its inexhaustible supply of contenders for the Ottoman throne. Murad may have decided to pay back the court by encouraging a pretender to the Byzantine throne.
