Constantinople Taylor Cabbell Constantinople In the 12 th

Constantinople Taylor Cabbell

Constantinople In the 12 th century, the city was the largest and wealthiest European city and it was important in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times. After the loss of its territory, the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire was reduced to just its capital city, eventually falling to the Ottomans in 1453.

Constantinople Following the Muslim conquest, the former support of Christianity in the east, Constantinople, was turned into the Islamic capital of the Ottoman Empire, under which it thrived and grew again. After the founding of the modern Republic of Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, the city was renamed Istanbul in 1923.

It is an important trade center due to its location. Ever since the days of human expansion from Southwest Asia to Europe, people needed a way to cross the Bosporus strait that separates Asia from Europe. The Bosporus is also the only water passage between the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Who ever controlled this location controlled (and profited from) both land water transportation in the area. Silk Road trade brought east and west together at Constantinople, and the Crusades exposed otherwise European-minded soldiers to the world beyond their own continent, further increasing the city's importance.

Map of Constantinople