Basilic (cannon)

The Basilic,[1] or The Ottoman Cannon was a very large-calibre cannon designed by Urban, a cannon engineer, Saruca Usta and architect Muslihiddin Usta at a time when cannons were still new. It was horribly inaccurate, but when it hit, it caused massive damage to Constantinople's walls. Additionally, due to the material the cannon was constructed of, and the intense heat created by the charge, the cannon had to be cooled with olive oil between shots to prevent cracking. The heat also prevented the cannon from being fired more than three times per day. Ultimately, it lasted all of six weeks before becoming non-functional.

• Length: ~24 feet (7.32 m)
• Diameter: 2.5 feet (76.2 cm)
• Cannonball: 1200 lb (544 kg)
• Range: ~1 mile (1.6 km)

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

References

1. Tamim Ansary, Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes, Page 274, 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2019