ISTANBUL
41.0136° N, 28.9550° E
Founded on the Sarayburnu promontory
around 660 BC as Byzantium, the city now
known as Istanbul developed to become one
of the most significant cities in history. For
nearly sixteen centuries following its
reestablishment as Constantinople in 330 AD,
it served as the capital of four empires: the
Roman Empire (330–395), the Byzantine
Empire (395–1204 and 1261–1453), the Latin
Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman
Empire (1453–1922). It was instrumental in
the advancement of Christianity during Roman
and Byzantine times, before the Ottomans
conquered the city in 1453 and transformed it
into an Islamic stronghold and the seat of the
last caliphate. Although the Republic of Turkey
established its capital in Ankara, palaces and
imperial mosques still line Istanbul's hills as
visible reminders of the city's previous central
role.
Istanbul's strategic position along the historic
Silk Road, rail networks to Europe and the
Middle East, and the only sea route between
the Black Sea and the Mediterranean have
helped foster an eclectic populace, although
less so since the establishment of the
Republic in 1923. Overlooked for the new
capital during the interwar period, the city has
since regained much of its prominence. The
population of the city has increased tenfold
since the 1950s, as migrants from across
Anatolia have flocked to the metropolis and
city limits have expanded to accommodate
them. Arts festivals were established at the
end of the 20th century, while infrastructure
improvements have produced a complex
transportation network.