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Overview
"Surrounded by a garland of waters" on the narrow straits of the Bosporus dividing Europe and Asia, Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, has been an unrivaled locus of cultural exchange since its beginnings as the Greek colony Byzantium. In its more than twenty-six centuries of existence the city has survived countless natural and political catastrophes, foreign conquests, and dynastic upheavals, enduring fantastic changes in religion, language, political status, and name. Despite these onslaughts of time, a vibrant local character and spirit have abided. This fascinating history of the city from its foundation to the present is a guide for the curious traveler as well as an evocation of an illustrious past.
- Also included is a comprehensive gazetteer of all major monuments and museums
Synopsis
Istanbul: The Imperial City tells the story of the city from its foundation until the present with the emphasis throughout on its colourful and tempestuous daily life. A comprehensive gazetteer describes all the monuments mentioned in the text, so that this is a guide to the city as well as an evocation of its illustrious past as Byzantium, Constantinople and Istanbul, which unfolds as one walks the ancient streets in view of the garland of waters that still entwine it.