|
Because of its geographical status and the
convenient natural harbor for trade, the city extended beyond
and acquired wealth in a short time. In BC 513, the city was
captured by the Persians, and in 407 BC, came under the rule of
Athens.
The Galatians of European origin, settled on
the Asian side of the city in 227 BC. A military alliance for
defense and security of the city was realized with Rome in 146
BC. In 196, the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus included the city
within the territories of the Roman Empire.
Emperor Constantine the Great made an
extended housing overview throughout the city, renamed the town
as Constantinople, and declared to the world with ceremonies
(May 11th, 330) that the city is the second capital for Rome. By
the way, strong city walls were constructed around the city.
With the efforts of Constantine the Great, who had admitted
Christianity under the influence of his deeply Christian mother,
this new religion spread in the city and became the state
religion in 391- With the death of the Emperor Theodosius I. in
395, the Roman Empire was separated and Constantinople became
the capital of East Roman, or the Byzantine Empire. In the early
5th centuiy, the city walls which are still standing today were
constructed. Although the West Roman Empire
came to the end in 476, the East Roman Empire continued its
sovereignty and influence. Between the years of 527 - 565, in
the reign of Justinian, many new buildings, the first of which
is Hagia Sophia, were constructed. This was the brightest times
of the city under tne administration of the Byzantine Empire.
The Arabs attempted to conquer the city many times from 666
until 870. The disagreements between the
Catholic and Orthodox Church increased and the two churches were
separated from each other in 1054. Constantinople became the
religious center for the Orthodox. In 1096, the first Crusade
passed through without damaging the city. In the 11th and 12th
centuries, the Genoese and Venetians mastered the trade
especially in the Galata region. In 1204, the Latins came with
the 4th Crusade, captured and ruined the city. In 1261
Constantinople was taken over one more time by the Paleologos
dynasty. In the late 14th century, the
Ottomans started the siege of the city for the first time. The
city was besieged by Bayezid I in 1390 and by Murad II in 422,
and was conquered by the Ottoman armies commanded by Mehmet II
in 1453.
 |
The city adopted the name Istanbul
and became the 3rd capital of the Ottomans after Bursa and
Edirne. In 1517, after the Ottomans conquered Egypt and
brought the caliphate to Istanbul, the city became the
center of the whole world of Islam.
From 16th century till the stagnation in the 18th, the
city was embellished with beautiful mosques, complex and-palaces.
However, the earthquakes and the fires caused extensive
damages in the city. In the 19th century, as a result of
the renovation efforts within the Empire, a transition
from classical Ottoman
|
|
architecture to Baroque and Rococo is observed. During
the World War I., on the night of March 15tn, 1919; the
city was captured by the allied armies. After the
Independence "War was won, and the Sultanate and
Caliphate were abolished, the Turkish Republic was
declared and Ankara became the capital of the new
Republic on October 13th, 1923. After losing the title
capital, Istanbul still continued to extend rapidly as
the trade and commercial center of Turkey. The city,
where shopping centres, cultural buildings and highways
were constructed, became a great metropolis, especially
in the last 20 years.
|
 |
 |
|
Sultan Mehmet II, the Conqueror of Istanbul. |
Mustafa Kemal Atatiirk, -the Founder of the
Modern Turkish Republic. |
|
|
|
|
