Istanbul History

People lived in the territory of modern Istanbul from the Neolithic. The earliest settlements date back to 6,700 BC. They were discovered in 2008 in the European part of Istanbul during the construction of the Istanbul Metro and Marmaray . ^{[1] [2] [3]} While Kadikoy was built by the Phoenicians.

Byzantium ( Greek Βυζάντιον , Latin Byzantium ) is an ancient Greek city at the junction of the Sea of ​​Marmara , the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn , the forerunner of Turkish Istanbul . It was founded by Dorian colonists from Megara in the 7th century BC. It became part of the Roman Empire in the II century BC. In 330, by decision of Constantine the Great, he became the capital of an empire called New Rome, then Constantinople .

Constantinople ( Greek Κωνσταντινούπολις , Konstantinupolis , or ἡ Πόλις - "City"), Ottoman. قسطنطينيه [kostantîniyye] tour. Konstantinopolis , lat. Constantinopolis ) - the name of Istanbul until 1930 , the unofficial name ^[5] (official New Rome ^{[6] [5]} ) of the capital of the Roman Empire ( 330 - 395 ), the Byzantine, or East Roman Empire ( 395 - 1204 and 1261 - 1453 ), The Latin Empire ( 1204 - 1261 ) and the Ottoman Empire ( 1453 - 1922 ).

Byzantine Constantinople, located on a strategic bridge between the Golden Horn and the Sea of ​​Marmara , on the border of Europe and Asia , was the capital of the Christian empire - the heiress of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece . Throughout the Middle Ages, Constantinople was the largest and richest city in Europe. Istanbul is the throne of the Patriarchate of Constantinople , which is the "primacy of honor" among the Orthodox churches.

In 1204, Constantinople was plundered by the crusaders , who established the Latin Empire in it until 1261. The restored Byzantium under the rule of the Paleologists dynasty lasted until 1453 , when the city ​​was taken by the Turks .

Sultan Mehmed II proclaimed the city the capital of the Ottoman Empire . Under Mehmed, the medieval Topkapi Palace was built; it is Seral for many years, which became the residence of the Ottoman sultans.

During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent in 1520 - 1566, the "Golden Age" sets in for Istanbul. The Ottoman Empire expanded significantly, new mosques , madrassas and buildings are being built in Istanbul. A special place is occupied by the construction of the Suleymaniye Mosque , which for Istanbul has become the same symbol as Hagia Sophia for the Byzantine Constantinople. Other architectural monuments were also built - Roksolana baths, parks, new city walls were erected.

Istanbul reached its greatest power and prosperity under Sultan Ahmet I. New mosques were built, among which the largest mosque in the world - the Blue Mosque . Under Ahmet and earlier, the practice of exile of the captive population to Istanbul was actively used. A part of the population was sold on slave markets, another part was actively replenishing the population of the city. Since the middle of the XVII century, Istanbul has been gradually declining due to the weakening of both the political and financial situation of the Ottoman Empire. Only in the XIX century began to pay attention to its development again. A new residence of the Ottoman sultans was built - the Dolmabahce Palace , built in the European style and in the spirit of the times, the Yildiz Palace , the Istanbul hippodrome, was also built.

From November 13, 1918 to September 23, 1923 the city was occupied by Entente troops and was the site of the White Guard emigration ^[7] .

In October 1923 , after the victory of the Turkish national movement led by Kemal Atatürk and the establishment of the Turkish Republic , the capital's functions of Istanbul are transferred to Ankara . However, the city itself retained the right to be called the commercial, industrial, commercial, cultural, and later the tourist center of the country.

The active development of Istanbul began again at the end of the 20th century. Despite a series of crises in Turkey, the city is actively building a subway, light metro, funicular, modern bridges, and airports are being reconstructed. The city’s population is growing rapidly. Today, Istanbul rightfully remains the tourist and trade mecca of Turkey, attracting millions of tourists annually to Turkey. Ataturk Airport alone receives more than 40 million passengers a year.