Crossroads of Culture

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Constantinople

• Crossroads of Culture

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A Brief History of Constantinople

• Originally Byzantium (660 BCE) by the Greeks
• Becomes Eastern Capital of Roman Empire
  (Byzantine Empire) 330 CE under Constantine
• During the Middle Ages was consistently largest
  and wealthiest city in Europe
• Eventually lost by the Romans to the Ottoman
  Turks (1453)
• Sought after due to geographic location

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Landmarks of Culture

• Elements of many different religions present in
  art/architecture
• Cultural influence is evident in the building
  styles as well as purpose
• Only city on two continents (Europe and Asia)

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Hagia Sophia

• Destroyed twice
• Rebuilt under Justinian 537 CE
• Survived many earthquakes and fires
• Fell into the hands of the Turks in 1453 CE
• Became a mosque
• Modern day, serves as a museum

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Islamic Minarets
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Christian
Islamic (No people)
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The Hippodrome of Constantinople

• Hippodromes were built to house horse racing and
  chariot racing. Originally built by Severus
  Septimus, the Hippodrome was renovated after
  Constantine moved the capital of his empire to
  Constantinople.
• It is estimated that the Hippodrome of
  Constantine was about 450 m (1,476 ft) long and
  130 m (427 ft) wide. Its stands were capable of
  holding 100,000 spectators.
• Contains artifacts from Ancient Empires such as
  the Greeks and Egyptians.

Egypt
Greece
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The Blue Mosque
6 Minarets!

• Completed in 1616 CE during the reign of the
  Ottomans
• Has a unique number of minarets (6)
• Named the Blue Mosque due to the blue tiles
  inside

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The Golden Horn

• Connects the Bosphorus to the Sea of Marmara
• Naval headquarters of the Byzantine Empire
• Walled off to prevent naval attack
• Protected Constantinople by an oversized chain
• Could be pulled across to block passage

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Topkapki Palace
A Palace Fit for a Sultan!