Istabul : History

Istanbul is not the capital of modern Turkey, but it has been the capital of three Empires: Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman. Few cities in the world have undergone such radiation throughout history. In 1923 during the creation of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal, who wanted to end six centuries of Ottoman Empire , decided to transfer political and legislative power in Ankara. Today, after 90 years of decline, Istanbul regained its international prestige, it will be in 2025 in the 15 richest cities in the world, its economy represents 27% of national GDP of Turkey itself the 16th world economy . Istanbul attracts, last year more than 12 million tourists visited, making it the fifth tourist destination. All the major chains and global groups are present, it is one of the cities with the largest growing economic of the moment.The height of buildings in the business districts contrast with the old town and the yalis BosphorusWorld Heritage of UNESCO . Istanbul has all the ingredients to become an international capital in the future, but to understand this megalopolis in depth, it is important to look into his past.

A little history

In the 7th century BC Greek colonists from Megara led by King Byzas based Byzantium (Constantinople). According to legend, King Byzas would have consulted the oracle at Delphi who advised him to create his city opposite of "those who do not see." Arriving in the Istanbul area, they found the village of Chalcedon (Kadıköy today) on the Asian side of the Sea of ​​Marmara. The geographical location of Chalcedon, down the peninsula controlling entry of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn and his men brought Byzas to say that Chalcedonians were blind, so they created their city on the peninsula or of Sarayburnu Seraglio is now Sultanahmet. This strategic location to monitor maritime traffic between the Aegean and the Black Sea and the Silk Road and freight traffic between Europe and Asia, allowed immediately to Byzantium to develop and to become an important commercial center.

parts whose effigy King Byzas

In 513 BC, Athens and Sparta are fighting alliance with Byzantium, then the warehouse of the Greek world. As at the time of the Bosphorus is the lock where wheat, honey, leather, wax and slaves password, King Darius of Persia conquered the city and undermines the rule of the Greeks over the region in the cutting off their supplies. After the Greeks had conquered the city, then it follows years of war between the Athenians, Spartans and other cities for its domination. During the reign of Alexander the Byzantine soldiers victoriously défendendirent of the Macedonian attack and then regained their independence.

Roman era.

Constantinople Romaine

Greece came under the tutelage of Rome and Byzantium as well, but it maintains an independent status. In 192, after the assassination of the Emperor Commodus by his slave Narcisse, Byzantine sided with support Prescennius Niger against Septimius Severus. In revenge, Septimius Severus besieged the city for three years. She finally surrendered and it left her in a state of ruin. Subsequently, he decided to raise the punishment of Byzantium and built beautiful monuments like the Hippodrome, palaces and baths. It also surrounded the city with new walls. In 324, Constantine, the Emperor of the Christian Roman Empire, decided to shift his capital from Rome to Byzantium. He then gave him the name Nea Roma (New Rome), and there erected a palace, a forum, baths, the first basilica of Hagia Sophia and decided to enclose the seven hills of the city in a wall ( like Rome). The city was built in just 6 years. In 395 the Roman Empire was divided into two and the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire was renamed Constantinopolis (Constantinople).

Bust of Constantine

To the 6th century the city experienced considerable expansion but during the reign of Justinian, a revolt broke out: the revolt of Nika ( Nika Revolt ) and the town was burned. Justinian then rebuilt the destroyed city and decided rennover St. Sophia Basilica of majestic manner. For this, he used the columns of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the marble stones of Egypt and Syria. The site ends in 537. then ensuing five centuries of prosperity or the city, and the Byzantine Empire resist invasions Arabs, Persians, Mongols and Vikings.

Hagia Sophia today

In 1204 the Crusaders captured the city during the second siege of Constantinople. They sacked the city, massacring the inhabitants and collect a considerable booty. The Byzantine Empire was split into three and finally loses its resources to the Genoese and the Venetians. Eight hundred years after the Fourth Crusade and the siege of Constantinople, Pope John Paul II expressed his sorrow and asked forgiveness Christodoulos 1, Archbishop of Athens and Bartholomew, Patriarch of Constantinople for the terrible massacres in events. In 1261 the forces of Michael VIII Palaeologus take over the city with the help of the Genoese navy. The city has deteriorated and needs to be rebuilt. The Emperor gives Genoa a suburb of Constantinople, Pera, where they erected in 1348 Galata Tower.

Ottoman

In the 15th century the Ottoman Turks who conquered Asia Minor and the Balkans, surrounded the Byzantine Empire.The Ottomans, led by the young Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror (Fatih Sultan Mehmet) built castles to control the Bosphorus Strait and prevent enemy fleet to spend. On 28 May 1453, after two years of siege, the final assault is launched. Muslims seized Constantinople and mark the end of the Byzantine Empire and thus the end of the Roman Empire. The arrival of the Byzantine intellectuals in Italy after the conquest of Constantinople is often seen as a precursor of the later Middle Ages and marking the beginning of the renaissance.

Suleiman the Magnificent

Palais de Topkapi

Suleymaniye Mosque

On 29 May 1453 the city was declared the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Immediately after taking possession of the city, they undertake a range of work. They transform the church of Hagia Sophia into a mosque and built the Topkapi Palace (1459) and magisterial and magnificent mosques (Suleymaniye 1558 Blue Mosque in 1668). The transformation of St. Sophia is symbolizing the victory of the Ottomans and Islam. The city was then raised by a new momentum, and becomes a capital full part in the world of art, commerce and architecture. Sultans beautify and restore the city, including tanks and Roman baths, later known as "Turkish baths". The city then has a standard of living and higher than the European average hygiene. This reign reached its peak during the period of Suleiman the Magnificent who created many works with his architect Sinan lighthouse known as to be the greatest architect of the Empire.

The Ottomans were very tolerant and respectful of the beliefs of the communities. For example, they have not changed the name of the city when he took out of respect for the emperor Constantine. During their reign, Constantinople was cosmopolitan, it was a crossroads of civilizations, religions and an example of tolerance. The judicial system allowed each community to benefit from a decision-making power on certain rules. The many churches, synagogues located throughout Istanbul are the greatest proof of the respect that existed between communities.

In 1856 was built the Dolmabahce Palace during the Tanzimat reform period of the Ottoman Empire. At that time the sultans westernized and are building palaces and monuments Rococo on the banks of the Bosphorus. We can say that this is Istanbul the beginning of a new era, the city stretches for the first time around the walls of Theodosius and Pera.The administrative center is the district of Beşiktaş and économiqueKaraköy center with his street banks. The first bridge across the Golden Horn, the Galata Bridge was built in 1845 In 1883 the Paris-Istanbul railway line, the Orient Express is established, thereby connecting Constantinople to major European cities.

Constantinople became Istanbul

In 1918, the English, the French and Italians occupy Constantinople after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire and Germany during the First World War. But the Turkish nationalist movement, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk declared war on the French, the British, the Ottoman sultanate, Italy, Armenia and the American fleet in the straits. The Turkish army is winning the war of independence and the secular Turkish Republic was founded. Ankara became the capital, Constantinople was still under international protection. The last Ottoman Sultan Mehmet IV was evacuated to emergency Nov. 17, 1922 on the British ship HMS Malaya. After the re-negotiation of the Treaty of Sèvres leading to the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, Constantinople visited Turkey and the Turkish troops come first in the city on October 6th 1923 In 1930 the city was renamed Istanbul.

The Greeks called the inhabitants already Constantinople Istanbul city since the 10th century. It derived from the Greek phrase "eis tends Polin" which means "in the city."

Taksim Square and the main boulevards are dug, sometimes demolishing historical legacies Ottomans. On 6 and 7 September 1955, after a set up by the Turkish government announced the destruction of the house of Atatürk by the Greeks from Thessaloniki, the people revolt against the Christian minorities in the city. This dark event in the history of Istanbul led to an exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey. From the 70s, the city faces a massive rural exodus and the population is growing at an incredible rate. The population increased from 1.5 million in 1950 to over 15 million today. To cope with the traffic and urban transport, two bridges over the Bosphorus are built: the Bosphorus Bridge in 1973 and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in 1988.

On August 17, 1999, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 with epicenter in the Marmara Sea is 17,000 dead and 300,000 homeless in İzmit and İstanbul.Greek rescuers are the first to come to assist. As a twist of fate, less than a month later, September 7, 1999, Athens was in turn hit by a major earthquake.Turkish rescue workers are the first on the scene. It is time for both countries to turn a dark page long one hundred years and going forward.

Present day

Since the early 2000s, Istanbul is booming economic growth of the city is in double digits and its cultural aura explodes. The city hosts dozens of international fairs and festivals, universities getting better classified, the mayor restores cultural heritage of the city, a third bridge over the Bosphorus and the largest airport in the world is under construction, the creators of Istanbul become more sides and a world-renowned art scene was created. Despite all these embellished, youth stambouliotte came out on the streets in 2013 to protest uncontrolled urbanization and totalitarian drift of government. After months of peaceful revolts, this dynamic and educated youth went back to work with a mission to write smoothly Istanbul's history. In April 2014, Istanbul was voted best destination in the world in the competition "Traveller choice 2014" with millions of users of the site reference Trip Advisor. The future is bright on the banks of the Bosphorus.