The Byzantine Empire never fully recovered from the sack of Constantinople in 1204. Over the next two centuries, it entered a precipitous decline in both territory and influence. In 1453, a much-diminished Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Empire, ending what was once the most powerful state in the Orthodox Christian world, if not in all Christendom. By this time Egypt, another major centre of Eastern Christianity, had been under Muslim control for some seven centuries; most Eastern Orthodox communities across southeastern Europe gradually came under Ottoman rule by the 16th century.
the byzantine empire never fully recovered from the sack of constantinople in 1204 over the next two centuries it entered a precipitous decline in both territory and influence in 1453 a much-diminished byzantine empire fell to the ottoman empire ending what was once the most powerful state in the orthodox christian world if not in all christendom by this time egypt another major centre of eastern christianity had been under muslim control for some seven centuries; most eastern orthodox communities across southeastern europe gradually came under ottoman rule by the 16th century