HISTORY OF ISTANBUL LONELY PLANET TRAVEL INFORMATION LONELY PLANET TRAVEL GUIDES HI THERE COOKIES IMPROVE YOUR EXPERIENCE YOU CAN UPDATE SETTINGS PRIVACY POLICY LINK AT THE BOTTOM NO WORRIES LEARN GO TO CONTENT SEARCH BOX GLOBAL SITE NAVIGATION SEARCH BEYOND DESTINATIONS AFRICA ANTARCTICA ASIA AUSTRALIA PACIFIC CARIBBEAN CENTRAL AMERICA EUROPE MIDDLE EAST NORTH AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA INSURANCE HOTELS FLIGHTS ADVENTURE TOURS SIGHTSEEING TOURS AIRPORT CAR RENTAL SHOP SIGN CLOSE ISTANBUL OVERVIEW THINGS TO DO TIPS TIMES BYZANTIUM DECLINE OF ROME RISE CONSTANTINOPLE THEODORA UNDER SIEGE DECLINE THE CRUSADERS INTERLOPERS THE WEST THE OTTOMANS UPSTARTS THE EAST CONQUEST ASCENDANT RULE THE WOMEN ATTEMPTS AT REFORM ETHNIC NATIONALISM ABDL THE YOUNG TURKS REPUBLICAN DOWNGRADED LONGER THE CAPITAL THE COUP RECENT PAST SETTLEMENT THE SITE PROBABLY HUNDRED THE TROJAN WAR PERIOD KINGS DAVID SOLOMON RULED FISHING VILLAGE SERAGLIO POINT TOPKAP PALACE 700 BC COLONISTS MEGARA GREECE CITY OF CHALCEDON ASIAN SHORE THE BOSPHORUS DOZEN GREEK FISHING COLONIES SHORES PROPONTIS ANCIENT NAME THE SEA THE HISTORIAN THEOPOMPUS OF CHIOS THE IMPERIAL HALF INHABITANTS DEVOTED THEMSELVES WAY OF LIFE APPARENTLY STARK CONTRAST 657 BC LEGEND MEGARIAN COLONIST THE SON THE GOD POSEIDON THE NYMPH KEROESSA DAUGHTER ZEUS LEAVING BYZAS ASKED THE ORACLE DELPHI SHOULD ANSWER OPPOSITE SENSE FELLOW THE COLONY LOOKING SAW MAGNIFICENT FORTIFIED NATURAL HARBOUR THE GOLDEN HORN THE GREEKS THE EUROPEAN THE SETTLERS MUST BLIND SUPERB SETTLED HERE NEW TOWN COLONY QUICKLY PROSPERED ABILITY LEVY FEES SHIPS PASSING THRIVING MARKETPLACE LIVED TRADED GOODS FISH STOCKS THE EARLY FORTUNATE ENSURE INVINCIBILITY ENSLAVED THE LOCAL THRACIAN POPULATION HARD WORK WORSHIPPED THE GREEK OLYMPIAN GODS MIGHT THOUGHT GOOD CLEAN THE OPPOSITE WRITING DRINKING 512 BC EMPEROR CAPTURED CAMPAIGN RETREAT THE PERSIANS 478 BC THE TOWN UNDER THE INFLUENCE PROTECTION ATHENS ATHENIAN LEAGUE TURBULENT NUMBER ATHENIAN NAVY EXPEDITION CHRYSOPOLIS CITY OF GOLD SUBURB BESIEGED SPARTANS AFTER THE END THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR ONCE AGAIN THE LEAGUE INDEPENDENCE IN 355 BC HELP SIEGE FATHER ALEXANDER 340 BC THE END HELLENISTIC PERIOD ALLIANCE THE ROMAN EMPIRE RETAINED STATUS FREE KEPT OFFICIALLY PAID TAXES LEADERS BIG MISTAKE WRONG SIDE ROMAN WAR OF SUCCESSION DEATH PERTINAX SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS VICTORIOUS RIVAL PESCENNIUS NIGER EVENTUALLY WALLS BURNING ANCIENT BYZANTIUM AWARE STRATEGIC SOON REBUILDING PARDONED CITIZENS CIRCUIT STRETCHED TODAY BUCOLEON PALACE ENCLOSING TWICE SIZE PREDECESSOR AS WAS THE PRESENT PATH DIVAN GATEWAY MILIARIUM AUREUM MARBLE GATE SEEN SEVERUS NEW CITY AUGUSTA ANTONINA SUBSEQUENTLY SUCCESSION THE GREAT DIOCLETIAN DECREED THE GOVERNMENT CONSTANTINE IN THE WEST CIVIL SOLE REUNITED CHRISTIAN EMPEROR DIDNT CONVERT POWER SUMMONED FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL NICAEA IN 32 PRECEDENT THE EMPERORS SUPREMACY CHURCH MOVE THE EMPIRE WIDER CIRCLE LAID MAGNIFICENT CITY FORUM THE CREST NURUOSMANIYE CAMII 1000 YEARS THE SETTLEMENT EURASIAN WORLD ALMOST DIED SEVEN YEARS THE DEDICATION EMPIRE DIVIDED CONSTANTIUS BROTHERS COUSIN EMPEROR JOVIAN VALENS AQUEDUCT GROW THEODOSIUS BEYAZT SQUARE MASSIVE TRIUMPHAL GATE IN THE CITY PORTA AUREA THE OBELISK GRANDSON EMPEROR THEODOSIUS II THE THRONE SISTER PULCHERIA ACTED REGENT HER BROTHER OLD ENOUGH ATTILA THE HUN FORMIDABLE SEVEN HILLS THE WALLS DOWN EARTHQUAKES IN 44 REBUILT MERE TWO MONTHS THE RAPID APPROACH ATTILA THE HUNS ACTING POWERFUL THEODOSIAN WALLS INVADERS THE NEXT STAND INCREASINGLY DILAPIDATED STATE IIS ACHIEVEMENTS THE COMPILATION OF THE CODEX COLLECTION THE LAWS ENACTED REIGN CONSTANTINE THE GREAT ERECTION SANCTA SOPHIA SAME NAME BURNED RIOT IN 45 STRING FAMOUS BYZANTINE CENTURIES BARBARIANS EASTERN CAPITAL STRENGTH GENERAL BELISARIUS ITALY NORTH NIKA RIOTS KILLING TAKING MARRIED COURTESAN INFLUENCE EMBELLISHED GREAT BUILDINGS SS SERGIUS AND BACCHUS AYA SOFYA HAGIA EIRENE THE BASILICA PERSONAL TRIUMPH BUILDING PROJECTS CONSTANT RECONQUEST EXHAUSTED TREASURY THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE NEVER AGAIN WARRIOR AVARS FOREIGN ARMIES NONE ABLE BREACH THE ARAB ISLAMIC TRIED IN 66 INSIDE TYPE ICONOCLASTIC EMPEROR LEO III LAUNCHED QUEST REVOLTED TRIUMPHANT POLICY THE EMPRESS MOTHER THE CHILD EMPEROR CONSTANTINE ISSUE FINALLY REST CHILD BULGARIAN EMPIRE NEVER EMPEROR BASIL ANATOLIA BULGARIAN FEAT BULGAROCTONUS EMPEROR ROMANUS DIOGENES ARMY EASTERN ANATOLIA BATTLE SELJUK TURKS FORCED CENTRAL ASIA MANZIKERT IMPRISONED HEARTLAND THUS OPEN TURKISH INVASION SELJUKS CENTRAL ANATOLIA TURKISH THE POWER VENICE ALWAYS COMMERCIAL THE LAUNCH THE FIRST CRUSADE THE ARRIVAL CONSTANTINOPLE OF SOLDIERS THE SECOND CRUSADE IN 11 MANUEL COMNENUS THE GOOD WHOSE MOSAIC PORTRAITS THE GALLERY EVICTED VENETIAN MERCHANTS NEIGHBOURHOOD THE VENETIANS FLEET ATTACK PORTS IMPERIAL COURT POLITICS OF THE WORD BLESSED RULERS THREAT FAMILIES TYRANTS PLOTTING LEAD ALEXIUS III EMPEROR ISAAC HIMSELF PRINCE THE POPE WESTERN THE FOURTH CRUSADE SAIL EGYPT ALEXIUS SENT MESSAGE OFFERING UNION THE PAPACY BAC