Basilic (cannon)

[2] The cannon was first offered to Constantine XI, who turned it down due to the cost of its construction.

[3] It was later offered to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, who ordered the cannon built after learning that it could smash through walls using a large projectile.

[6] The cannonball, which could be shot at a distance of one mile (1.6 km), weighed 1,200 pounds (540 kg).

[4] It was horribly powerful, and when it hit, it caused massive damage to Constantinople's walls.

[1] Additionally, due to the material the cannon was constructed of, and the intense heat created by the charge after each shot, the barrel had to be soaked in warm oil to prevent cold air from penetrating and enlarging the fissures.

The Dardanelles Gun is a similar super-sized cannon that was built in 1464 by the Turkish military engineer Munir Ali and modelled after the cannon built by Orban .