Io eventually crossed a stretch of water that became the Bosphorus Strait, from the Greek bos, meaning cow. Byzas, her son by the sea god Poseidon, then founded a city on that same spot: Byzantion.<\/p>\n
The place was clearly hugely significant to the Greeks for them to create such a myth. That Poseidon featured in the legend is also telling, because it reinforces the point that the site\u2019s importance was always as much about the waterways that surround it as the city itself.<\/p>\n
All points of the compass<\/h2>\n
Away from this foundational myth, recent excavations are yielding evidence about the first real inhabitants of this area, around 8,000 years ago. Then, there were plucky small communities of people who plausibly picked fresh pistachios and figs from the trees that thrived in the area, and who left their footprints in the Bosphorus mud.<\/p>\n
That channel, created around 5,500 BC from a surge of melting ice water, not only separates east from west, Europe from Asia; it connects north and south. Sail into the Black Sea and it is possible to reach Romania, Georgia, Crimea, Ukraine and Russia. Head across the Sea of Marmara on the other side of the strait and through the Dardenelles (the Hellespont in antiquity) and there\u2019s the Mediterranean and north Africa.<\/p>\n
Being connected to all points of the compass, the settlement became immensely desirable to many civilisations. Beautiful Thracian pots decorated with human faces and dating from about 4,500\u20134,900 BC have been discovered; there is evidence of central Asia influences in a round, kurgan-style tomb from around 5,000 years ago; and there are signs of activity by Mycenaean Greeks in the Bronze Age.<\/p>\n
Greek history, though, states that Byzantion was founded c667 BC by settlers from the mainland city of Megara. As it grew, it featured baths, gymnasia and stoae (covered walkways) \u2013 all the things to be expected in a Greek city.<\/p>\n
Romans in Byzantium<\/h2>\n
Such a desirable location attracted unwelcome attention to the city. In about 513 BC, the Persian<\/a> emperor Darius I took the city. Over time, other powers attacked: from the Athenians<\/a> and Spartans<\/a> to the Romans<\/a>, who by the second century BC were aiming to incorporate Byzantion into their expanding territory.<\/p>\n This companion piece accompanies our podcast miniseries History\u2019s Greatest Cities<\/em>. Listen to the full episode on Florence with Catherine Fletcher and Paul Bloomfield, then explore the entire series<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> They constructed the Via Egnatia across the Balkan Peninsula, linking the city to the port of Dyrrhachium (modern-day Durr\u00ebs in Albania) on the Adriatic Coast, so providing sea connections to Italy. It is still possible to walk on some of the original flagstones. The city\u2019s name was Romanised to become Byzantium and, in 64 BC, it formally became a province of the empire under the great general Pompey.<\/p>\n That did not bring an end to the conflicts, though. During internecine troubles, Byzantium was besieged and largely destroyed by emperor Septimius Severus in AD 196. He went on to rebuild what he had wrecked, including laying out the Hippodrome, traces of which remain in the form of a public square near the Blue Mosque.<\/p>\n Near there stands the last-surviving fragment of the Milion, a pillar-like monument from the fourth century that served as the zero marker for all distances in the empire. That indicates just how important Byzantium had become: it was the start point for the roads, over Rome itself.<\/p>\n It was extremely wealthy too, a strategic point for trade with fertile lands and rich fishing in the Golden Horn, the inlet stretching west from the Bosphorus.<\/p>\n Another turning point for the city came when emperor Constantine<\/a> decided to re-found it as the capital of his empire; a new Rome. Constantinople was formally inaugurated in AD 330, and it flourished.<\/p>\n A 35-metre-high remnant of the great column made of porphyry rock erected to celebrate this inauguration, and originally topped with a statue probably of the emperor himself, can be seen near the current site of the Grand Bazaar.<\/p>\n With Constantine\u2019s conversion to Christianity, his glorious, international city became the headquarters of the religion. Constantinople was known for offering sanctuary to people. But the Roman empire itself was soon to split<\/a>, and the city would be the centre of the Byzantine empire of the east. While the west fell into decline, the east continued to grow \u2013 as did the influence and beautification of its capital.<\/p>\n Particularly significant in this respect was the emperor Justinian and his wife, Theodora<\/a>, in the sixth century. Arguably their greatest achievement in Constantinople was the Hagia Sophia, an exquisite church that is now a mosque. For more than a millennium, it was one of the largest buildings in the world.<\/p>\n Visitors would do well to make time to see another church-turned-mosque nearby, known as Little Hagia Sophia, also erected by the imperial power couple and featuring an inscribed poem dedicated to Theodora.<\/p>\n The strategic position of Constantinople, and its enormous wealth, attracted further attacks over the following centuries. Vikings<\/a> came from the north, Arab armies from the east and south, and even Christians from the west assaulted it.<\/p>\n Among the darkest episodes in medieval history came during the Fourth Crusade<\/a>, in 1204, when Franks and Venetians en route to the Holy Land camped on the eastern banks of the Bosphorus.<\/p>\n The people of Constantinople looked out from the walls built by Theodosius II in the fifth century (some of which still stand, including the Golden Gate that served as the terminus of the Via Egnatia). Seeing the crusaders with their red crosses, they believed them to be allies.<\/p>\n The massive and wealthy city, the largest in Europe, was too much of a temptation. The crusaders besieged and attacked Constantinople for days, slaughtering and raping its inhabitants, ransacking treasures, ripping out images of the Virgin Mary and pilfering jewels from the frames. They also burned huge numbers of documents containing great classical works.<\/p>\n Though the city recovered \u2013 and some of the beautiful churches built over the next couple of centuries are still standing \u2013 Constantinople had irrevocably lost its confidence, its sense of self. It would change hands and more its treasures were lost, with bronze statues melted down for coin and relics seized and sent across Europe.<\/p>\n By the early 15th century, the city was an island encircled by the lands of the Ottoman empire, which had expanded to encompass huge swathes of Asia and eastern Europe. In May 1453, after a 53-day siege, Sultan Mehmed II, who became known as \u2018the Conqueror\u2019, entered Constantinople. The millennium-old Byzantine empire had fallen.<\/p>\n Now that an Islamic power was in charge, changes were inevitable: most churches became mosques, for example. However, Constantinople changed less than has sometimes been suggested, largely as a result of the Ottoman rulers seeing themselves as kind of Renaissance princes. They patronised the arts and commissioned extraordinary building projects. In many ways, this was a time of remarkable flourishing.<\/p>\n Among the structures created were the S\u00fcleymaniye Mosque, built in the mid-16th century by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan on the orders of Suleiman the Magnificent<\/a>; the incredible Topkapi Palace, which served as a royal residence for numerous sultans; and the Blue Mosque, built in the early 17th century near the Hagia Sophia.<\/p>\n Stunning fountains were dedicated around the city, as well as hospitals and libraries. Perhaps half of the historic Ottoman skyline was commissioned and paid for by the wealthy women of the imperial harem.<\/p>\n There was also a lot of continuity from the Byzantine era. The modern-day Beyo\u011flu district around the Galata Tower, built in 1348, had been an area when the Genoese lived, and under the Ottomans it remained something of a home to European residents. It has kept a distinctive feel to this day.<\/p>\n Over time, the city became the place that everybody wanted to visit, to live in, and to invest in. The population boomed, but the city created a gilded cage for itself, and the bloated Ottoman administration could not adapt. In the early 19th century, the Janissary soldiers \u2013 the sultan\u2019s standing army, many of them originally Christians from the Balkans who had been converted to Islam \u2013 revolted, first in 1807 and again in 1826.<\/p>\n Then came the Crimean War<\/a> (1853-56), in which the Ottomans fought alongside the UK, France and their allies, creating a huge drain on their resources. By 1875, the empire was all-but bankrupt and being derided as the \u201csick man of Europe\u201d. Defeat in the First World War<\/a> was the final nail in the coffin, ending with the occupation of Constantinople.<\/p>\n One figure looms large over the history of modern Turkey: Mustafa Kemal<\/a>, later named Atat\u00fcrk (Father of the Turks). A soldier and master strategist, he had a grand vision for the New Republic of Turkey, established in 1923. Everything changed, from the way that the language was written and children were educated to how people dressed and regarded international relations. Atat\u00fcrk took the new state and pushed it forward to establish a contemporary society.<\/p>\n The capital moved to Ankara, while Istanbul \u2013 as Constantinople was officially renamed in 1930 based on a long-standing unofficial moniker during the Ottoman era \u2013 lost much of its influence and people.<\/p>\n Despite that, the city re-established itself as the emotional capital of Turkey. Its architectural wonders, its thriving culture, and its vibrant history as the crossroads of the world means that visitors still flock to Istanbul to absorb everything it has to offer.<\/p>\n Bettany Hughes is an award-winning classical historian, broadcaster and writer. She is the author of Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities<\/em> (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2017). She was talking to Paul Bloomfield, travel journalist and host of our podcast series History\u2019s Greatest Cities<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n This most historic of cities has had many names and lived many lives. Bettany Hughes picks five sites that highlight Istanbul\u2019s rich and turbulent past<\/strong><\/p>\n Many visitors head to the Arasta Bazaar, just south of the Blue Mosque, to buy scarves and kaftans. But inside the bazaar you\u2019ll also find the entrance to a fabulous museum displaying some of the sixth-century AD mosaics created for the palace of the emperor Justinian I and his wife Theodora, one of the most powerful women in Byzantine history.<\/p>\n These exquisite mosaics, uncovered during excavations that began in the mid-1930s, depict scenes ranging from people riding a camel to a lion fighting an elephant.<\/p>\n While you\u2019re in the area, visit the incredible Hagia Sophia \u2013 originally a Christian basilica, completed in AD 537, and now a mosque.<\/p>\n Be sure also to delve into the underground Basilica Cistern, constructed by Justinian and Theodora around the same time, which is currently being renovated. Wandering among its soaring marble columns, with their curious carved capitals, is an unforgettable experience.<\/p>\n Across the Golden Horn to the north, in the Beyo\u011flu district, is a wonderful complex that was created in the late 16th century at the behest of an Italian from Calabria \u2013 Grand Admiral K\u0131l\u0131\u00e7 Ali Pasha, who was born Giovanni Dionigi Galeni.<\/p>\n It\u2019s another reminder of just how diverse the Ottoman empire actually was. After being captured by a Muslim corsair and later converting to Islam, the man known to Europeans as Occhiali became a great hero in 1571 when, following Ottoman defeat at the battle of Lepanto, he returned to Constantinople bearing the great flag of the Knights of Malta.<\/p>\n This complex was one of the last works of Mimar Sinan, the extraordinary architect of Istanbul whose buildings \u2013 which include the S\u00fcleymaniye Mosque \u2013 are described as \u201cglittering with light, joy-giving and heart-captivating\u201d.<\/p>\n It\u2019s incredible to still be able to enjoy a hamam (Turkish bath) in this beautiful venue that was built by Sinan for K\u0131l\u0131\u00e7 Ali Pasha more than 400 years ago.<\/p>\n In the Sea of Marmara, about seven miles south-east of Istanbul, lie the nine pine-shaded Princes\u2019 Islands, known in Turkish as Adalar. They were named for the royal palace that was built by Justin II on the largest island, now called B\u00fcy\u00fckada, in AD 569.<\/p>\n The association took on a different meaning during the Byzantine era, when unfortunate princes (along with other public figures who fell out of favour) were exiled on the islands; some were also blinded for good measure. That continued under Ottoman rule, when members of the sultan\u2019s family might find them- selves removed from court to the islands.<\/p>\n In the second half of the 19th century, when steam- boats began to serve the islands, they became popular as a retreat for wealthy Istanbullus, and many of their magnificent mansions still stand here today.<\/p>\n The archipelago was also home to substantial Greek and Armenian communities, along with other nationalities, and you can still see the crumbling mansion where Trotsky lived for four years after being expelled from Russia in 1929.<\/p>\n East of the main covered section of the Grand Bazaar is a district where coppersmiths still work, and which dates back to Byzantine times. Historically, many copper workers came from the Jewish community that was established by the fourth century AD, living and working in the quarter that became known as Chalko- prateia (\u2018copper market\u2019).<\/p>\n Roman emperor Theodosius I permitted a synagogue to be built here, north-west of where the Hagia Sophia now stands. A Christian church was built over the synagogue\u2019s remains in the following century, and was later converted into a mosque. None of these monuments is visible today, but roaming the district gives you a sense of a different side to the city.<\/p>\n Many Jewish families fled to Constantinople (and were welcomed by Sultan Bayezid II) after Moorish Granada fell to the Christian Reconquista in 1492, and many also escaped here during the Second World War, using the passports of Muslim students. In short, Istanbul has long been shaped, in part, by its Jewish heritage.<\/p>\n This exceptional museum comprises a charmingly curated private collection housed in two restored late 19th-century mansions \u2013 old wooden yal\u0131s, or traditional Ottoman riverside homes \u2013 on the banks of the Bosphorus, around 12 miles north of the old centre.<\/p>\n With extensive displays of artefacts spanning thou- sands of years, including textiles, ornaments and other objects produced in and for the Ottoman empire, it provides a beautiful and really accessible tour of the whole history of Istanbul.<\/p>\n Bettany Hughes was talking to Paul Bloomfield, travel journalist and host of our podcast series History\u2019s Greatest Cities. <\/em>Listen to the companion podcast on Istanbul<\/a> or explore the entire series<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n To the Greeks, it was founded by the son of a god. The Romans saw it as the centre of the Eastern empire; and the Ottomans turned it into an architectural and cultural jewel. The city now known as Istanbul has experienced rises and falls, triumphs and invasions, destructions and rebirths. Paul Bloomfield speaks to Bettany Hughes about the rich history of this crossroads of the world. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":30003,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"13"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/byzantium-constantinople-istanbul-the-history-of-a-city-of-many-names.jpg",620,413,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/byzantium-constantinople-istanbul-the-history-of-a-city-of-many-names-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/byzantium-constantinople-istanbul-the-history-of-a-city-of-many-names-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/byzantium-constantinople-istanbul-the-history-of-a-city-of-many-names.jpg",620,413,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/byzantium-constantinople-istanbul-the-history-of-a-city-of-many-names.jpg",620,413,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/byzantium-constantinople-istanbul-the-history-of-a-city-of-many-names.jpg",620,413,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/byzantium-constantinople-istanbul-the-history-of-a-city-of-many-names.jpg",620,413,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"To the Greeks, it was founded by the son of a god. The Romans saw it as the centre of the Eastern empire; and the Ottomans turned it into an architectural and cultural jewel. The city now known as Istanbul has experienced rises and falls, triumphs and invasions, destructions and rebirths. Paul Bloomfield speaks to…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/30002"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}History\u2019s Greatest Cities: A HistoryExtra<\/em> podcast series<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"Cities](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/02\/Cities-new-Sq-c8695f6.jpg?quality=45&resize=556,556\" "\\"Cities")
<\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/section> ![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/HippodromeGettyImages-1317934480-f0d3e4d.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Obelisk")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>Emperors leave their mark<\/h2>\n
Crusaders sack Constantinople<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/CityWallsGettyImages-890298216-ad387d9.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"The")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>The Ottomans take charge of Constantinople<\/h2>\n
Istanbul\u2019s Islamic influence<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/Topkapi-PalaceGettyImages-1405966492-06c1014.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"The")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\u201cSick man of Europe\u201d<\/h2>\n
Istanbul in the 20th century<\/h2>\n
What to see: Istanbul in five places<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/Istanbul-map-with-numbers-C-Battlefield-Design-4e8dd90.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Istanbul")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n1. Great Palace Mosaics Museum<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/1-Great-Palace-Mosaics-Museum-Alamy-2H13NGG-6ace126.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"A")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n2. K\u0131l\u0131\u00e7 Ali Pasha Mosque and Baths<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/2-Kilic-Ali-Pasha-Mosque-dreamstimexl120099734-b489fce.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"A")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n3. Princes\u2019 Islands<\/h3>\n
![\"High](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/3-Princes-Islands-GettyImages-1346867869-f87a4f8.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"B\u00fcy\u00fckada")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n4. Coppersmiths\u2019 market<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/4-Coppersmiths-market-Alamy-F0889H-8ddf9b3.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Coppersmith")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n5. Sadberk Han\u0131m Museum<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/5-Sadberk-Hanim-Museum-Alamy-CWW5A6-aa8eff1.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Sadberk")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"