Могъл ли е византийският флот да блокира пролива Дарданели през XIV век?
Was it possible for the Byzantine navy to block the Dardanelles strait during the 14th century?

Summary/Abstract: The article examines the existing source data to address a question that has been a subject of discussion in contemporary historiography for a considerable period: was it possible in the 14th century for the Byzantine navy to block the Dardanelles Strait in order to prevent its crossing by hostile forces? The primary focus of the work revolves around the preserved evidence for the existence of the Byzantine navy between 1305 and 1360 and the incursions into Europe carried out by the Karasi and Ottoman Turkish Beyliks in the same period. The author comes to the conclusion that the efforts made by the Byzantine authorities to protect the Dardanelles were insufficient, resulting in the Ottoman Turks’ conquest of the entire coastline of the strait. The primary factors contributing to this situation were the close proximity of the European and Asian shores, the extensive and difficult-to-defend coastline, the absence of significant Byzantine urban centers in the region, financial constraints, and the disastrous consequences of the long civil wars in the empire.

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