Istanbul Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
city in Turkey located at the Bosporus Strait
About Istanbul
—Jimmy Kennedy, Istanbul (Not Constantinople), 1953 While relics of prehistoric human settlement were found in the Yarımburgaz Cave near the Küçükçekmece Lake and during the construction of a subway station in Yenikapı,Greek colonistsfromMegara, directed by their legendary leader Byzas, have been traditionally accepted as the founders of Istanbul. Expanding the ancient Greek colony ofByzantiumby the order of theRomanEmperor Constantine the Great, the imperial city ofConstantinoplewas for nearly a thousand years the heavily-fortified capital of theEastern Roman (later termed Byzantine) Empire. To this day, the Ecumenical Patriarch, head of the Eastern Orthodox Church continues to be the Archbishop of Constantinople, who is still based in Istanbul. It was finally conquered by the Ottoman Sul
Istanbul Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 17 sections including: