Istanbul

Over the generations, its inhabitants have excelled in art and architecture, wielded political and spiritual power over big swathes of the world, and suffered in catastrophes ranging from earthquakes to fires

ECONOMIST.COM

For more than 2,000 years, Istanbul has dazzled, enticed and horrified humanity

2014.2.1

Orhan Pamuk’s Istanbul

“I belong to this city,” says the writer about his birthplace and longtime home. Join him on a deeply personal tour through Istanbul’s neighborhoods and his memories.

Spotlight:

Istanbul Not Constantinople

Why was Constantinople's name changed to Istanbul? The city was founded as Byzantium by the Greeks around the 8th century BCE; in 330 CE, the emperor Constantine I made it the capital of the Byzantine Empire and renamed it Constantinople after himself. The city was conquered repeatedly over the centuries, until it was finally taken over by the Ottoman Empire. With the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, the capital was moved to Angora and both towns were renamed. Angora became Ankara and Constantinople became Istanbul seven years later, on this date in 1930. Istanbul's most ancient section is the historic, walled quarter of Stambul. The name Istanbul comes from the Greek stimboli, meaning "to the city."

Quote:

"Why did they change it? I can't say. People just liked it better that way." — "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)," Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon

2017
Over the generations, its inhabitants have excelled in art and architecture, wielded political and spiritual power over big swathes of the world, and suffered in catastrophes ranging from earthquakes to fires

For more than 2,000 years, Istanbul has dazzled, enticed and horrified humanity

New histories of Istanbul

ECONOMIST.COM