Constantinopla

Constantinopla is the historical name for what is today Istanbul, the city that for centuries served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Refounded by Constantine the Great in 330 CE on the site of the ancient city of Byzantium, it occupied a strategic position on the Bosporus strait, linking Europe and Asia and controlling major trade routes between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

The city grew into a premier political, economic, and religious center. Its fortifications, notably the Theodosian Walls, protected a metropolis that housed the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Hagia Sophia, a monumental church completed under Justinian I that became a symbol of Byzantine architectural and religious achievement. Constantinople endured numerous crises, including the Nika riots of 532 and the sacking of 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, which briefly erected the Latin Empire over its ruins. It was reconquered by the Byzantines in 1261, but the city never fully recovered its former strength.

In 1453, the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II captured the city, which marked the end of the Byzantine state. Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, and the city gradually integrated into the Ottoman imperial realm. In common usage, the city came to be known as Istanbul, a name that gained international prominence alongside its historical designation. Today Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city and a major cultural and economic hub, reflecting a long continuum of classical heritage and cosmopolitan evolution.