İstanbul

I

Introduction

İstanbul (formerly Constantinople), city in north-west Turkey, capital of İstanbul Province, a major port, and the largest city in Turkey. The province and the city are situated on both sides of the Bosporus, the strait that separates Europe from Asia. İstanbul Province is bounded on the north by the Black Sea, on the east by Kocaeli Province, on the south and south-west by the Sea of Marmara, and on the west by Tekirdağ Province. İstanbul is historically important as the capital first of the Byzantine Empire and later of the Ottoman Empire. In its influence on the development of Roman law, Greek philosophy and art, and Christian theology and on Church history, Byzantine-ruled İstanbul rivalled the cultural contributions of Athens, Jerusalem, Rome, and Paris. The city has spanned the divide between Europe and Asia for more than 2,000 years. Population 11,174,257 (2007 estimate).

II

Economy

Located in a large agricultural region, İstanbul Province produces cotton, fruit, olive oil, silk, and tobacco. The city is the chief seaport and commercial and financial centre of Turkey. A large share of the trade of Turkey passes through the Golden Horn, a narrow inlet of the Bosporus that forms an excellent natural harbour. Industries in İstanbul include shipbuilding, distilling, and the manufacture of cement, cigarettes, foodstuffs, glass, leather goods, and pottery. The city is an important rail junction, with several international lines terminating on the European side and another beginning on the Asian side.

III

Places of Interest

Like Rome, Constantinople was built on seven hills and at one time was surrounded by walls. The walls erected by Emperor Theodosius II in 413 are largely in ruins. The oldest of the many old sections of the city is Stambul, west and south of the Golden Horn, built on the site of Byzantium. Phanar, the Greek quarter, lies within Stambul. Across the Golden Horn and north-east of Stambul is the commercial quarter of Galata, which is connected to Stambul by two floating bridges. Residential areas include Beyoğlu (Pera) and Üsküdar on the Asian side of the Bosporus. Üsküdar, also called Scutari, was the site of a hospital where the British nurse Florence Nightingale served during the Crimean War.

Among the many imposing buildings of historic significance in the city is Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom), a 6th-century church converted to a mosque in the 15th century and now a museum. Many buildings dating from the time of the Ottoman Empire, including the Mosques of Bayazid II and Suleiman I, reflect the stylistic Byzantine influences of Hagia Sophia, but are uniquely Turkish in that they have tall, slim minarets on the exteriors and extensive surface ornamentation inside. The Seraglio, composed of buildings grouped around three courts, includes the former palace of the sultans. The Topkapi Palace is a noteworthy example of İstanbul’s architectural heritage. In the 19th century, the royal residence was moved to the Dolma Bagtcheh (or Dolmabahçe) Palace, on the Bosporus; the president of Turkey uses it occasionally.

The oldest institution of higher learning in the city is İstanbul University (1453); others are İstanbul Technical University (1773), Marmara University (1883), Yıldız University (1911), and the University of the Bosporus, formerly the American Colleges in İstanbul (1863), in which English is still the language of instruction. İstanbul is the headquarters of the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the archdiocese of the Patriarch of the Armenians in Turkey; the city has nearly 200 Christian churches.

IV

History

In 324 the Roman emperor Constantine the Great selected the ancient city of Byzantium originally founded in the 7th century bc on the Golden Horn, as the site of his new capital, which he later named Constantinople. Its history mirrored that of the Byzantine Empire. İstanbul was one of the most frequently besieged cities in the world. Before the Turkish conquest its assailants included the Arabs (673-678, 717-718), the Bulgarians (813, 913), and the armies of the Fourth Crusade, which twice succeeded in taking the city (1203, 1204). After Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, the city became the capital of the Ottoman, or Turkish, Empire; it was the capital of present-day Turkey until 1923, when the newly founded Turkish Republic declared Ankara (then Angora) the capital. From 1918 until 1923 Britain, France, and Italy occupied the city. The name was officially changed to İstanbul in 1930. The city’s population increased significantly in the 1950s. Since the 1970s the infrastructure has improved, with new roads and bridges as well as tramway networks being constructed. Since the 1980s significant conservation efforts have been underway, particularly in the city centre. In 1985, several historic areas of İstanbul, including Hagia Sophia and the Suleimaniye Mosque, were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.