A brief history of Istanbul: description, attractions and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:54

The first settlement on the site of the modern metropolis appeared in the Vll century BC. It was a small colony of Greek settlers, bearing the name of Byzantium, which remained with it until 330 AD, when Emperor Constantine renamed the city New Rome and moved the capital of the empire there. Soon, however, the name Constantinople was assigned to the city, which was used in official documents until 1930.

History of the City of Istanbul

Greeks never chose random places for the construction of important objects, and, obviously, a number of religious procedures had to be performed in order to lay a new city. Legends in the history of Istanbul are not the last place, and according to one of them, before building a new colony, people from the Greek region of Megaris turned to the Delphic oracle, and he indicated the place where Constantinople would later appear.

However, in 330, on the site of the former Greek colony, on the personal order of the emperor, large-scale work was launched, the purpose of which was to build a beautiful city that would testify to the greatness of the Roman Empire and serve as a worthy new capital.

Druga legend saysthat Emperor Constantine personally marked the boundaries of the city on the map, and an earthen rampart was poured along them, inside which construction began, attracting the best architects, artisans and artists.

Konstantin and his heirs

Of course, such a grand design could not be fully realized during the life of the emperor, and the burden of construction fell on his heirs as well. From the reports about the celebration in honor of the consecration of the new city, it can be concluded that by this date the city already had a hippodrome, which hosted performances by circus performers, artists and chariot races so beloved by the people.

Since Christianity was already the official religion of the empire by that time, a porphyry stela dedicated to the Mother of God was installed in the city. It is worth noting that porphyry at that time was considered the most valuable of the semi-precious stones. They decorated the chambers of the emperor in the Great Palace of Constantinople, and children born in these chambers bore the title of Porphyrogenitus and were considered the legitimate heirs of the reigning emperor.

It was under Constantine l that such important historical monuments as St. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul, whose history goes back almost one thousand seven hundred years, as well as Hagia Irene, which is also of interest to lovers of antiquity, were laid.

Long capital years

From the moment of its construction, Constantinople served first as the capital of the Roman Empire, then the Byzantine, and after the Ottoman. Thus, for more than one thousand six hundred years the city hadcapital status until Atatürk moved the capital to Ankara, located in the center of the country.

However, even after that, Constantinople retained the status of an important cultural and economic center. Istanbul remains the largest city in Turkey today, with a population of fifteen million. Important trade routes pass through the city, both sea and land.

Periodization of the history of the city

The entire history of Istanbul can be divided into several important periods. If we take the renaming of Byzantium to Constantinople as a starting point, then the first period can be considered the years when the city was the capital of a single Roman Empire, that is, from 330 to 395. The city was actively built and developed, and its population was largely Latin-speaking.

In the next period, Constantinople is the capital of another empire - the Eastern Roman Empire, or, as it is commonly called in historical books, Byzantium. An important milestone in its history is 1204, when it was sacked by the Crusaders, who devastated the treasuries and churches, plundered palaces and merchant stores. For fifty-seven years the city was ruled by Latin nobles until it was freed in 1261.

With the liberation of the city, some revival of the empire began, but it did not last long, and already in 1453 the history of Istanbul as a Greek city ends - it is captured by the Ottoman Turks. The last Byzantine emperor, Constantine Xl, perishes in a fire. Empire history ended.

Ottoman Period

The Ottoman period in the history of Istanbul begins on May 29, 1453 and will last until 1923, when the Ottoman Empire will be liquidated and the young Turkish Republic will appear in its place.

For 450 years of Ottoman rule, the city will experience ups and downs, more than once soldiers of foreign armies, including the Russian one, will stand under its walls. However, throughout history, it will delight with palaces and sultan's harems, beautiful mosques and magnificent markets, which will attract goods from all over the continent.

During the entire period of the Ottoman dynasty, 29 sultans ruled the city, each of which contributed to the development of the city. However, the most revered of them, of course, is Sultan Mehmed ll Fatih, who took the city, putting an end to the Byzantine Empire and the beginning of a new period in the Ottoman Empire.

Under Fatih, most Christian churches were converted into mosques, including Hagia Sophia. However, religious communities were not infringed, subject to the payment of an additional tax on non-Muslims.

Istanbul in the 20th century

Approaching its decline, the empire began to agonize, and the fragile inter-ethnic and inter-religious balance was shaken. A wave of pogroms directed against Christians, and especially against Armenians, swept across the country. The genocide that followed the pogroms led to the fact that the entire Armenian population of Istanbul left the city.

In 1918, the Ottoman Empire signed a peace treaty with the Entente countries, thereby admitting its defeat. From thismoment the city was under the occupation of the Western powers. It was divided into areas of responsibility between the British and the French, who administered Istanbul and the straits, on the banks of which the military was stationed.

In 1923, the occupation was completed, foreign military forces were withdrawn from the city, and a year later the new nationalist government abolished the Caliphate, expelling all representatives of the Ottoman house from the country.

The capital of the new state was located in Ankara, which was least threatened by foreign intervention. However, Istanbul retains its status as an important cultural and economic center to this day. Briefly retelling the history of Istanbul, we can add that the residence of the Patriarch of Constantinople, one of the most revered Christian primates, is still located in this city.