THE HISTORY OF ISTANBUL
in the 7th century BC. The city was rebuilt in the 4th century by Byzantine Emperor Constantine I, who designated it the capital. From that time on, for nearly 16 centuries from Roman and Byzantine times to the Ottoman rule, istanbul remained a capital. The city was one of the most important centers of both Christianity and Islam. Istanbul has stood as a symbol of greatness, a confluence of peoples, languages, religions and continents.
Settlers from the city-state of Megaria crossed the Marmara Sea in around 680 BC, reached the area of today's Kadikoy on the Asian shores of istanbul and built a city they named Khalkedon. In around 660 BC, another wave of immigrants, under the leadership of Thrace-born Commander Byzas, founded a city on the peninsula across, which was named Byzantium, today's Sarayburnu. This city-state, under the threat of Macedonians in 202 BC, demanded help from Rome and thus fell under the influence of the Roman Empire, ending its city-state status. In 193 BC, Roman Emperor Septimus Severus besieged Byzantium in response to internal strife in the Empire and destroyed the city walls. He then rebuilt the city, repaired the walls and started building the Hippodrome, with a 100,000 people capacity, which became one of the important monuments of the city. Many statues were placed along the 480-meter long walls of the giant Hippodrome. (Much later, during the Christian Crusades, the Latins who invaded and sacked the city transferred these statues to St. Mark's Cathedral square in Venice.)In the 4th century, in the period when the Rome was losing its grip and the empire was splitting into two, Constantine, known in history as Constantine the Great, embraced Christianity. Byzantium was renamed Nea Roma, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, thus marking the beginning of the city's rise to an important role in world culture and politics. In 330, Constantine rededicated the city as Constantinopolis.He built the first church in the city, Hagia Irene Church. Probahly istanbul's most famous
landmark. the Hagia Sophia (also spelled Ayasofyal was built by Emperor tustinian I in the year 537. The romp.etion of Hagia Sophia, the great domed cathedral, established Istanbul's fame as a capital of Christianity. After the breakup of Western Roman power, Constantinople continued as the capital of the Empire. The city was besieged countless times by Sassanids, Avars, Bulgarians, Arabs, Russians and the Crusaders. After it was invaded and ruled over by the Latins until 1261.
Istanbul was besiegedat various times by the Ottomans starting from 1391, but owing to the protection of its high city walls, Byzantine power continued within the limited area that is today's historic peninsula. Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror (1432-1481), who was determined to take the city, built great cannons, gathered together a powerful navy with 16 galleys and conquered the city on May 29, 1453. This was the beginning of a new era for istanbul: the Ottoman Empire.Sultan Mehmet first set to work repairing old buildings and walls that had lost their splendor during the declining years of Byzantine rule. Gradually, the principle Ottoman buildings rose on old Byzantine infrastructure. The Ottomans protected important Byzantine works, facilitated a development in line with the city's new identity and declared istanbul their capital within 50 years after the conquest, istanbul had become the largest city of Europe. During the rule of Suleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566) Istanbul gained many more important buildings as well as a city plan, of which traces still can be seen. The great Architect Sinan built many important buildings for the city. From 1718 to 1730 known as the ("Tulip Era"), under the grand vizier ship of Damat ibrahim Pasha Nevsehir, flowers were cultivaned and planted throughout the city. This was also a time of flowering for
istanbul in culture, the arts music and literature. After World War I, on November 13 1918 was invaded by Entente Powers and remained under occupation until after Turkey won its independence. Upon the foundation of the republic in the same year.
Istanbul lost its status as the capital, but continued to be nation's most important city. Today istanbul is the heart of the Turkish economy and has the largest population. Declared European Cultural Capital of 2010, the city host numerous international organizations every year and sets the nation's agenda in business, arts, sports and fashion. Istanbul is only of the world's most lively metropolises with international fairs, congeresses and conferences, film, music and theatre festivals, the biennal, which has become one of the most important activities of contemporary art in the world, and international sports competitions. Physically it connect two continents but it vast history, unlimited devolepment potential and inclusiveness, Istanbul is an important junction of all continents and all humanity.