Whether you want to visit this amazing city at this point or not, learning about Istanbul can be an informative thing to do. If you are interested in history, learning about the history of this city can be quite fun, as it has been an important place through history. For those who have learned a bit about Istanbul’s history, one of the topics to learn about can be what Istanbul before Constantinople was like.
As we have just stated, the area where Istanbul is situated today has had some importance through history. This is due to a variety of reasons, such as being located in a strategically significant spot that allowed the city to be a commercial center, as well as having a strong defense against invaders. So with all these qualities, Istanbul was an important place for many empires, such as the Ottoman Empire and the Byzantine Empire.
Before Istanbul was in the hands of the Ottomans, Byzantines had the city and its name was Constantinople. However, before the Byzantines had the city and it was called Constantinople, it was still inhabited by many people… So, what was Istanbul before Constantinople? Who had the city before the Byzantines? Let’s try to learn about this topic and get an answer to these questions.
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Istanbul Before Constantinople Overview
What was Istanbul before Constantinople? Let’s quickly take a look at this topic.
Istanbul has been an important spot for both Ottomans and the Eastern Romans. During the Eastern Roman period, the city was called Constantinople and following this, during the Ottoman period, it was called Kostantiniyye, which is just another form of Constantinople.
But before the Eastern Roman period, the name of the city was Byzantium. Byzantium was a city founded by the Greeks, as a colony. Then, this city became a part of the Roman Empire.
If we go back enough in history, there was a Thracian settlement in this area called Lygos.
Istanbul During the Eastern Roman Empire Period: Constantinople
Before we talk about Istanbul before Constantinople, let’s briefly discuss Istanbul when its name was Constantinople, during the Eastern Roman period.
As humanity began to domesticate animals, cultivate plants and live in cities, different groups of people began to start civilizations in different parts of the world. In the area where Istanbul is located today and around it, it is thought that the first settlements were built by Thracians and Greeks. Following a Thracian settlement in the area, it was inhabited by the Greeks.
In the 7th century BC, Byzantium was founded as a Greek colony. After centuries of Greeks having this city, it was taken by the Romans in the 1st century. At this time in history, Romans were practicing their form of paganism.
Following a period of time under Roman control, the city was damaged due to a siege and began to be reconstructed in the 3rd century. In 306, Constantine the Great became the emperor and he became a Christian in 312. Along with his religion, Constantine also wanted to change the capital city of the Empire and for this he selected Byzantium, which was renamed Constantinople or Nova Roma.
In the late 4th century, the Roman Empire was divided into two parts, the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire, which is also known as the Byzantine Empire. As the capital city of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople became a very important and prosperous city, that was a center of commerce. While it was briefly a part of the Latin Empire, the Byzantine Empire had the city until it was conquered by the Ottomans.
Also Read: Why is Istanbul Not Constantinople? – 1 Simple Reason
Istanbul After Constantinople: Kostantiniyye
Are you wondering what was Istanbul before Constantinople like? Well, we will get to that. But before this, let’s quickly talk about what the city was like during the Ottoman period, which is another one of the significant historical periods for the history.
During this period, the city was called Kostantiniyye. Just like when the Byzantines had the city, Kostantiniyye was a prosperous city and a significant place for commerce. It functioned as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire between 1453 and 1922.
What Was Istanbul Before Constantinople Like?
Name of Istanbul before Constantinople was Byzantium, which was a city that was founded in 660 BC by the Greeks. Before this, it is thought that there was a settlement in this area called Lygos. Lygos was a Thracian settlement and after this, Greeks settled in the area and founded Byzantium.
Byzantium was in the hands of the Persians for a short period of time. However, Greeks managed to take it back. Byzantium became an independent city in 355 BC, after being one of the cities in the Delian and the Second Athenian Leagues. Following centuries of independence, the city was taken by the Romans in 73.
Which Civilization Had Istanbul Before Constantinople?
Istanbul before Constantinople was called Byzantium. But who had the city in this period? Before becoming Constantinople, the city was a part of the Roman Empire. Even before that, it was an independent Greek city, which became part of two larger Greek confederacies at some point. And as we go back in history, we see that there used to be another settlement in the area called Lygos, which was a Thracian settlement.
When Did Constantinople Become Istanbul?
Istanbul before Constantinople was Byzantium, and even before that, it is thought that there was a city called Lygos in the area. Now that we have talked about the history of the city before it was called Constantinople, let’s discuss when the name of the city became Istanbul.
Before the time period when World War 1 happened, the Ottoman Empire had been getting weaker. In fact, it was called the “sick man of Europe” due to the conditions it was in. A part of the Central Powers in the WWI, the Ottoman Empire was in the losing side. As a result, it was partitioned by the winning side and this caused the Turkish War of Independence to happen.
Following this war, the Republic of Turkey was founded and Ankara was chosen as its capital city. As a part of the effort to distinguish the new country from the Ottoman Empire, the name Kostantiniyye or Constantinople wasn’t used for the city, instead Istanbul was the new name. So, Constantinople officially became Istanbul after the founding of the Republic of Turkey.
Also Read: 10 Amazing Ottoman Historical Places in Istanbul to See
Istanbul Today
On this post, we have talked about Istanbul before Constantinople. In addition to this, we also discussed Istanbul when its name was Constantinople, as well as what happened afterwards. Hopefully, you had fun while learning about the history of this magnificent city.
While it can be interesting to learn about Istanbul before Constantinople, and the history of the other periods of this city, you may also want to know what this city is like today. So let’s quickly talk about what Istanbul is like today before wrapping it all up.
Istanbul is a large city in terms of population, with over 15 million living in this city. In terms of economy, Istanbul is the province with the largest GDP in Turkey. So it is a quite significant city for the economy of Turkey. Today Istanbul is a fairly important city and it’s visited by lots of tourists every year. The number of tourists who visit this city reach millions.
There are many reasons why visiting Istanbul can be an awesome idea. It is a city with a long history and there are numerous historical structures to check out in this place. In addition to this, if you are looking for beaches and other natural areas, in this city there many options for those, too. Basically, Istanbul is a significant city and for those looking for a nice travel experience it can be an awesome place to visit.
Final Words
Learning about the history of Istanbul can be quite an interesting thing to do. And one of the topics that you may be wondering about this subject can be Istanbul before Constantinople. Istanbul was an important city, both for Ottomans and Byzantines, and the city was quite prosperous and important during both Ottoman and Byzantine periods.
After Constantine the Great chose the city to become the capital city of the Roman Empire, it became known as Constantinople. With its significant geographical location, the city became even more important and prosperous than it had been before. On this blog post, we talked about the period of this city before this: Istanbul before Constantinople.
Before it was Constantinople, the city was called Byzantium and it was founded as a Greek colony. After it was conquered by the Romans, Byzantium became a part of the Roman Empire. During this time, Rome was the capital of the Empire but over time, political power shifted to the East. In addition, with the location that the city had, it was an important spot for trade, too.
Following the Eastern Romans, Constantinople was taken by the Ottomans, and it was called Kostantiniyye, among other names. Then after centuries of Ottoman control, the city became a part of the Republic of Turkey.