2006-07-26 03:20:41 · 12 answers · asked by Guclu 1 in Travel ➔ Europe (Continental) ➔ Turkey
By the way istanbul is not the capital of turkiye.the capital is Ankara :)
2006-07-26 03:26:05 · update #1
Ist. is my hometown... Yedi Tepeli Sehir... (Seven Hills) Actually graduated from Yeditepe University. The city that world and history meet, but they don't know it. It's been a long time i've been away. Soyleyin sevgilim nerde... Istanbul sokaklari... Care bulun bu derde... Istanbul Sokaklari.. (Tell me where my love is... The Streets of Istanbul... Find a cure for my pain... The street of Istanbul) It's that excessive...
2006-07-26 03:29:29 · answer #1 · answered by Gabriel_Arena 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Istanbul started out as Byzantium, settled by Greek colonists. It was later beseiged by Rome, and had to be rebuilt, but quickly returned to it's former prosperity. After that, it attracted the attention of the emperor Constantine, who overtook it and renamed it Constantinople, or Constantinoupolis, after himself, and it became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. It's location ensured a strategic position and it was able to control the route between Asia and Europe, as well as the passage from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea. It's name changed yet again, to Istanbul, in 1453, when Sultan Mehmet II beseiged the city for 54 days. It had to be rebuilt again. It was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, until the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, and the capital was moved to Ankara. Istanbul is still Turkey's most populated city, and its cultural and economic center. Istanbul is divided between Europe and Asia by the Bosporus Strait and is the only metropolis in the world that is situated on 2 continents. It also has a natural harbor, the Golden Horn.
2006-07-26 03:39:21 · answer #2 · answered by j.f. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Old New York was once New Amsterdam... Why they changed I can't say... may be people just liked it better that way.
Other than the song by They Might Be Giants and that it is the capital city of Turkey... I know nothing about Istanbul.
2006-07-26 03:23:27 · answer #3 · answered by TrippleThreat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Istanbul is a very interesting city, a combination of Western and Arab cultures. The Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace are great sights, the Grand Bazaar is actually bizarre and fun, and the city also has a nice aromatic spicy fragrance in the air, from the local flora, it's a surprise compared to other cities.
2006-07-26 04:36:39 · answer #4 · answered by Matthew S 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
27 centuries ago, Byzas of Megara, close to Athens, was searching for the proper place to found a new city. The Oracle told him to establish the new city across the city of the blind! He went to Chalkidon and in the morning he admired the region across Chalkidon, thus he founded the city that took his name: Byzantium.
Byzantium due to its central location changed many rulers. Persian, Thracians, etc.
24 centuries ago Philip the II, got the city and designed a flag/ symbol for the city. It was the moon and star in yellow. When Ottomans got the city accepted the flag of the city as their own, changing the yellow background into red.
About 22 centuries ago, the Roman got the city and 17 centuries ago the Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman empire to Byzantium and named her New Rome. After his death, many were calling the city: Constantinopole (City of Constantine).
The city was seized by the Catholics (Crusades) several times and destroy most of her power, stole as much as they could and destroyed what they could not move to their homelands!
The Ottoman Empire used Byzantium as its capital.
The Greek population was calling the city: Polis (meaning the city!). Thus, the phrase "to the City" Is tan Poli became: Istanbul!
2006-07-27 08:07:45 · answer #5 · answered by soubassakis 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Formerly Constatinople, major Turkish City, old Byzantine/Roman Ports found there in the past few weeks. Biggest City in the Eastern Roman Empire, which Became the Byzantine empire when the Eastern half fell. Also, more recently, Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire.
Haha I paid attention in history class.
2006-07-26 03:26:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not Constantinoble, now it's Istanbul....Why did constantinoble get the works? That's nobody's business but the Turks
2006-07-26 03:25:34 · answer #7 · answered by rabies_infected_cattle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It used to be Constantinople when the Romans owned it. The city was ruined when the Crusaders and Turks sacked it. The turks turned the beautiful Roman cathedral of St. Sophia into a mosque for God's sake! Is that enough information for you?
2006-07-26 03:26:16 · answer #8 · answered by The Man 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Capital of Turkey, nice place to visit
2006-07-26 03:24:17 · answer #9 · answered by Dr Dee 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not Arab culture, it is Turkish culture. It is a big shame not to know about and not to see Istanbul.
2006-07-26 11:41:45 · answer #10 · answered by Moosty 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋