Muslims besieged Constantinople at least ten times starting in 670 A.D., but they never conquered it, - until they encountered a Chinese merchant. The merchant offered to sell the 10,000 Byzantines trapped in the city gunpowder; they turned him down because they said they already had Greek Fire, a thick petroleum distillate that floated on water and could be ignited.
Waislamu waliivamia Constantinople angalau mara kumi kuanzia mwaka 670 BK, lakini hawakuweza kuiteka kamwe, -hadi waipokutana na mfanyabiashara wa Kichina. Mfanyabiashara huyo alikubali kuwauza Wabenzantini 10,000 waliokuwa wametekwa ndani ya mji wenye baruti; [Waislamu] hawakukubali kwani walisema walikuwa wameshapata moto kutoka kwa Wayunani, hii ilikuwa mafuta ya petroli iliyochujwa na iliweza kuelea juu ya maji na ingeweza kuwashwa.