Sinbad Hostel Sultanahmet Istanbul Turkey

ISTANBUL

Istanbul is the only city in the world which is established on two continents.The city has lots of the finest monuments and museums of Turkey which are usually in the Sultanahmet's area. Sultanahmet area is one of the most historical and cultural heritage of the world and known as one of the biggest open air museums.

History:Inhabited by people as early as 3000 BC.
In the early 100's BC, it became part of the Roman Empire and in 324, the Emperor Constantine decided to move the seat of the government from Rome to Byzantium, which he renamed Nova Roma (New Rome).This name failed to impress and the city soon became known as Constantinople, the City of Constantine.The mid 400's AD was a time of enormous upheaval in the empire. Barbarians conquered the western Roman Empire while the Eastern, also called the Byzantine Empire, kept Constantinople as its capital.The attribute that made the city so desirable, its incomparable location for trade and transport between three continents, was also its nemesis. For the next several hundred years Persians, Arabs, nomadic peoples, and members of the Fourth Crusade (who for a time governed the city) attacked Constantinople.Finally, weakened by almost constant battle, the Ottoman Turks lead by Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople in 1453. Renamed Istanbul, it became the third and last capital of the Ottoman Empire. It was the nerve center for military campaigns that were to enlarge the Ottoman Empire dramatically. By the mid 1500's, Istanbul, with a population of almost half a million, was a major cultural, political, and commercial center. Ottoman rule continued until it was defeated in XIX and Istanbul was occupied by the allies.When the Republic of Turkey was born in 1923 after the War of Independence, Kemal Ataturk moved the capital to the city of Ankara. But Istanbul has continued to expand dramatically; today its population is approximately 15 million.Industry has expanded even as tourism has grown. It continues to be a city that creates its own history at the intersection where both Continents meet.

Istanbul Photos Historical Places