Istanbul : A Breif History

The city was known as Constantinople from 325AD until the 20th century. The name came from the Roman Emperor Constantine. By the 1450’s the Byzantine Empire had all but crumbled and the emperor held only the city of Constantinople. It was seen as an island in a sea called the Ottoman Empire, a Muslim power that had consolidated over 8 centuries. The Byzantine Empire was further weakened by repeated Mongolian attacks, and in 1453, the city fell to the Ottomans, which were led by Mehmet the Conqueror.

Mehmet built his residence, the Topkapi Palace, and he built the Blue Mosque, as well as the Grand Bazaar. Suleiman the Magnificent who built more mosques and he was also responsible for building the great walls that currently surround Jerusalem’s Old city. Bosporus is greek for the ford of the ox. The Sea of Marmara takes its name from the largest island that’s located in its waters.

The Ottoman Empire declined also and Constantinople lost a lot of its glory. The name changed to Istanbul in 1930. After World War I, Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey decided to move Turkey’s capital to Ankara, and Istanbul was further losing its powerful base. But since, Istanbul has been gaining ground and its now a major tourist destination with a city that’s more an adventure than a walk in the park and where East meets West, Istanbul has many treasures to explore and discover.

In 1973 the first bridge was built across the Sea of Marmara, with the Bosporus strait in the north and the Dardanellas strait in the south, the sea is of major shipping importance through which Mediterranean Sea to Black sea traffic moves. This bridge was a symbol of the coming together of East and West.

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