Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The ancient city of Byzantium no longer exists under that name. Its history is a palimpsest of empires, each leaving a new identity.
Founded by Greek colonists from Megara on the European side of the Bosphorus. A strategic trading post controlling the Black Sea–Mediterranean grain route.
Roman Emperor Constantine the Great refounded it as "Nova Roma" (New Rome), soon popularly called Constantinople ("City of Constantine"). It became the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire for over 1,100 years—a bastion of Christianity, Greek culture, and Roman law.
Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II conquered the city in 1453. "Istanbul" derives from the Greek phrase "eis tin polin" (εις την πόλιν) — "to the City" or "in the City." It was the Ottoman capital until 1923.
Today, Istanbul is Turkey's largest city (population ~16 million), straddling Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus. It's the country's cultural, economic, and historical heart—home to Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and a vibrant contemporary arts scene.
While "Byzantium" lives on as a historical term for the medieval empire, the city itself has been Istanbul for nearly 600 years—a living bridge between continents, civilizations, and epochs.