Constantinople was founded by Roman emperor Constantine I in 330 AD after he defeated Maxentius and adopted Christianity. It served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire and was an important center of trade and culture due to its strategic location between Europe and Asia. In 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul, establishing it as the capital of the new Ottoman Empire.

1. ConstantinopleTo Istanbul By: Cara Treneer

3. Roman emperor who founded Constantinople the “New Rome.”

5. Reigned over Constantinople for almost 31 years

7. Constantinople Important geographically because it was a land route from Asia to Europe, and connected the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. Silk an important trade. Important men and families came to live here from Rome. Capital of the Greek-speaking empire. Very much a Roman city from architecture to statues around the capital. Richest and largest European city due to its geographical positioning for trade. A tall wall surrounded the city for protection A City where before Constantine people believed in more than one god, and then with his transformation believed only in one Christian God.

8. Constantinople Aqueducts and Cisterns Lacking any local water supply, the aqueducts supplied the land with water. The aqueduct of Valen and the cisterns came before Constantine, but were very important in the empires survival.

10. Adopted Greek Orthodoxy in the east.

11. Byzantium in the east remained until 1261 AD when Ottoman Turks won control over it.Now “Europe”

13. Adopted Catholicism.

14. The western empire ended in 410 AD when the “Eternal City,” was destroyed by Alaric.Now “Europe”