HISTORICAL ISTANBUL

 Since the beginning of time, it has been the center of many different religions and social structures.

Each time it was destroyed, it came back stronger than before.

Istanbul is a city where artists, emperors, and sultans have lived.

A special city that is home to tens of thousands of people and connects two continents and two seas...

The seat of power for three empires.

Ancient graves and foot prints were found when Yenikapi started building a subway in 2004. Based on research, the graves and footprints are from 8000 BC. Also, excavations in the Yarimburgaz Cave talk about the Palaeolithic Era, while those in Fikirtepe and Pendik found things from the Chalcolithic Era.

Some of these things are on display at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.

On the other hand, the Megarans are said to have built the town that became the basis for modern Istanbul in the 7th century BC. Byzantion was the name of the city that the Megarans started. Constantinus I, a Roman emperor, made the city the capital of the empire and changed its name to Constantinopolis.

After Constantinus became a Christian, Constantinople became the center of culture, arts, and, most of the time, politics and the economy during the Middle Ages.

The Ottoman Empire was almost destined to take over Constantinople. Knowing this, the Ottomans tried more than once to surround the city with a wall. When Mehmed II took control of the city in 1453, it changed its name to Istanbul and gave the sultan the name Conqueror.

The capital of the Ottoman Empire moved to Istanbul in 1453.

One of the first things the Ottomans did after they took over was to settle and control growth. Within a short time, the city walls were fixed. The palaces and churches were joined by mosques, social centers, inns, and baths. The Ottomans also controlled the religious activities of people who were not Muslims. Seven months after the conquest, the Ottomans took over the protection of the Orthodox Church. Suleiman I's 46-year rule from 1520 to 1566 was a time of growth for both the Empire and Istanbul. During this time, Istanbul got a lot of valuable landmarks, most of which are still there today. Istanbul started to look like a big city when it got madrasahs, caravan inns, baths, sultan's gardens, and bridges. During this time, the Halic-Galata Harbour also became one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean.

During the years that Turkey was fighting for its independence, occupation forces moved into Istanbul. On October 6, 1923, the city was rescued.

Istanbul is still the city of dreams because it has beautiful works of art, a rich history, and a constitution that includes people of different cultures and faiths.