Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World

Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World

For more than two millennia Istanbul has stood at the crossroads of the world, perched at the very tip of Europe, gazing across at the shores of Asia. The history of this cityâ€”known as Byzantium, then Constantinople, now Istanbulâ€”is at once glorious, outsized, and astounding. Founded by the Greeks, its location blessed it as a center for trade but also made it a target of every empire in history, from Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Empire, to the Romans and later the Ottomans.

At its most spectacular, Istanbul was re-founded by Emperor Constantine IÂ as New Rome, the capital of the eastern Roman Empire. He dramatically expanded the city, filling it with artistic treasures, and adorning the streets with opulent palaces. Constantine built new walls around it allâ€”walls that were truly impregnable and preserved power, wealth, and withstood any aggressorâ€”walls that still stand for tourists to visit.

From its ancient past to the present, we meet the city through its ordinary citizensâ€”the Jews, Muslims, Italians, Greeks, and Russians who used the famous baths and walked the bazaars, and the rulers who built it up and then destroyed it, including Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the man who christened the city "Istanbul" in 1930. Thomas Madden's entertaining narrative brings to life the city we see today, including the rich splendor of the churches and monasteries that spread throughout the city.

IstanbulÂ draws on a lifetime of study and the latest scholarship, transporting readers to a city of unparalleled importance and majesty that holds the key to understanding modern civilization. In the words of Napoleon Bonaparte, "If the Earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital."
Country USA
Manufacturer Penguin Books
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2016-11-22
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Penguin Books
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2016-11-22
Format	Kindle eBook

Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World

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