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Istanbul is the only city in the world built
on two continents. Its fate has been determined
by its vital strategic location and enchanted
natural beauty. It has long been coveted by powerful
empires, and served as capital first to Byzantium
and then to the Ottoman Empire.
Istanbul stretches along the two shores of the
Bosphorus that links the Sea of Marmara in the
South with the Black Sea in the North. It is Turkey's
largest city with a population of approximately
12 million.
Istanbul is also at the heart of the economy of
Turkey. The largest companies and banks, the main
national newspapers, television networks and advertising
agencies all have their headquarters in the city.
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Istanbul is also the capital of art and culture
with a rich tradition in opera and ballet, theater
performing Turkish and foreign plays, concerts,
art exhibition, festivals, auctions, conferences
and of course unique museums. The city also boasts
the country's largest and finest universities.
As an imperial capital for 1500 years, Istanbul
has acquired a highly original personality. At
every turn in the city you are faced with Roman,
Byzantine and Ottoman palaces, mosques, churches,
monasteries, monuments, walls and ruins. Yet Istanbul
is not a city living only in its past. It is a
vibrant, modern and future-oriented metropolis.
Bazaars and ultra-modern
supermarkets and department stores, street vendors
and stock-brokers, old crumbling buildings and
skyscrapers, horse-drawn carts and sumptuous limousines
coexist and this amalgam gives the city a multifaceted
outlook and flavor. Istanbul is like an intricately
woven carpet, a subtle blend of eastern and western
cultures.
A Brief History
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In the seventh century BC, Byzas, the Legendary
commander of the Megarians, following the advice
of the Oracle at Delphi, founded the city of Byzantium
and placed it under the protection of Rhea and
Apollon. In 330, the Roman Emperor Constantine
decided to transfer the capital of the Empire
from Rome to Byzantium. In the new capital, thereafter
known as Constantinople, the Emperor initiated
the construction of a palace, a forum, the first
basilica of Ayasofya and walls encircling the
seven hills of the city. When in 476 Rome fell
under assaults from the north, Constantinople
remained the sole capital of the Empire and gradually
moved under
Greek political and cultural influence. In the
sixth century, with a population of over 400 thousand,
it was already a large city.
Attacked by the Avars and the Persians in the
7th and 8th centuries, Constantinople had to defend
itself four times against Arab assaults. In 1204
it was occupied by the armies of the fourth crusade
which pillaged the city and demolished most of
its monuments.
After several attempts over half a century, the
Ottomans finally took control of Constantinople
in 1453. The Byzantine Empire, now ruling from
this city alone, collapsed. When it was conquered
by the Turks, Istanbul was a decaying city with
a very diminished population. Sultan Mehmet The
Conqueror breathed new life into the city and
brought in immigrants from the territories of
the empire, Moslems and Christians alike.
While the Greeks and other nationalities continued
to enjoy religious and cultural autonomy, the
city was embellished with palaces, mosques, bathhouses
and Islamic pious foundations. Benefiting enormously
from the wealth of the Ottoman Empire, the city
boomed and reached its golden age in the 16th
century. The Ottoman rule secured a long period
of peace and prosperity for the city. After the
first World War, following the defeat of the Ottoman
Empire, it was occupied by the victorious powers
and liberated by the Turkish National Government
in 1923.
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