Istanbul - Istanbul, Turkey
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Istanbul - Wikipedia
Rise and fall Constantinople and Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic eras. Neighborhoods and districts. Religious and ethnic groups. Entertainment and leisure. International relations
Istanbul (/,Istaen’bUl/IST-an–BUUL,[7][8] US; Turkish: Istanbul [is’tanbul] (listen), is the largest city of Turkey and serves as the country's cultural, economic, and historical hub. It lies in both Europe, Asia and the Bosporus Strait. The city has more than 15 million inhabitants, which is 19% of Turkey's total population. Istanbul is the 15th-largest and most populous city in Europe.
The city was founded as Byzantium (Byzantion) in the 7th century BCE by Greek settlers from Megara.[9] In 330 CE, the Roman emperor Constantine the Great made it his imperial capital, renaming it first as New Rome (Nova Roma)[10] and then as Constantinople (Constantinopolis) after himself.[10][11] The city grew in size and influence, eventually becoming a beacon of the Silk Road and one of the most important cities in history.
The city served as an imperial capital for almost 1600 years: during the Roman/Byzantine (330–1204), Latin (1204–1261), late Byzantine (1261–1453), and Ottoman (1453–1922) empires.[12] The city played a key role in the advancement of Christianity during Roman/Byzantine times, hosting four (including Chalcedon (Kadıköy) on the Asian side) of the first seven ecumenical councils (all of which were in present-day Turkey) before its transformation to an Islamic stronghold following the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 CE—especially after becoming the seat of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1517.[13]