Straddling the two continents of Asia and Europe, lies the city of Istanbul. In the imagination a city of intrigue and complexity, fabled history and fabulous treasures.

A vague history of the city has been established from Neolithic excavations from around 7000 BC and Bronze age remains of around 3200 BC but the real documented history begins after 1600 BC when Greek seafarers started to establish colonies on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of modern day Turkey and by 750 BC had ventured North through the Bosphorus and settled on the Asian shore of modern day Istanbul then known as Chacedon Within 20 years there was a new settlement on the opposite side of the water, founded by a sailor called Byzas, hence the name Byzantium. The attraction of this area was obvious, The Golden Horn, a perfect deep water natural harbour, provided an access to Africa, the Mediterranean and the Black sea and the land, a crossroads of the main routes from Europe and Asia. It was destined to become a city of great importance.

Strategically, its importance was soon realised and was repeatedly taken by warring powers. The Persians, the Spartans and the Athenians but the Byzantiums developed a shrewd sense of diplomacy and made alliances which kept most predators at bay and when under threat, closed the gates of the city and weathered the onslaught

The good fortune came to an end in 196 AD due to the Byzantiums supporting the losing side in an internal power struggle, when after three centuries of independence as part of the Roman Asian empire the city walls were destroyed and half the population slaughtered by the Emperor Septimus Severusm. Realising the strategic position of the city he had it rebuilt on a grand scale.

In 330 AD the emperor Constantine set about changing the course of history by advocating Christianity and moving the Roman empire's capital from Rome to his New Rome, Constaninople.

Here the uncontested new emperor plundered the empire to enrich the city with columns and relics, including the true cross itself and embarked on a building programme enlarging and fortifying the area. Little remains of this illustrious city, but the foundations were laid fro an empire that was to last for a thousand years.

The next few centuries saw Constantinople relatively unscathed by turbulence and when Rome fell to the Goths and Vandals the city had no rival and moved towards an era of renewed greatness during the reign of Justinian 527- 565. The Empire extended regaining lost dominions on the Mediterranean coast and the city was bestowed with an array of constructions. New water cisterns such as YEREBATAN SARAY, were built along with the crowning glory of ST SOPHIA cathedral. This became, as one Byzantine writer put it "the city of the worlds desire".

A period of decline followed mainly due to internal rivalries after Justinian's death and a continued onslaught of covetous factions. Although besieged many times, Costantinople still remained, slightly worn but dignified and with the reign of Basil the second 976- 1025 her fortunes were restored with the further expansion of the empire.
In 1071 the imperial army was totally defeated by the Selcuk Turks and again in 1176 which signalled the ultimate demise of the Byzantine empire. Soon after the, Fourth Holy crusade in 1202 replaced the emperor and there followed the Latin Empire which saw the city reduce further with misrule, pillage and emigration to villages outside the walls . The Byzantines recaptured Constantinople in 1261 with the help of the Italian city of Genoa and subsequently as payment for the help, controlled the city's trade and commerce A renaissance followed that caused the flowering of scholarship and artistic activity. An example of the beautiful buildings from this time is The church of St Saviour in Chora.

Over the horizon a new threat to the city was emerging. The Ottoman state was founded in 1301 by Osman the first who led warriors fighting for the Muslim faith and gradually expanded westwards. 1453 saw the conquest of the city by Sultan Mehmet II after a 54 day siege a new era began. In the years that followed the still impressive GRAND BAZAAR and TOPKAPI PALACE were erected and people from all over the empire came to live in what was to become a truly cosmopolitan city. The Ottoman Empire pushed its borders into Europe and The Middle East and became a formidable sea power The city reached a zenith with the cultivation of the arts and architecture while the Ottoman arts of ceramics and calligraphy flourished. The glory days were relatively short lived and by the 17th century the city declined once more. At the end of the century the Ottomans began to withdraw from Europe. During the Tulip Period , so called because f Sultan Ahmet III's penchant for the flower new influences in the culture arrived from Europe, new clothes and attitudes were adopted.

More reform followed with changes in the constitution, shifting from the military and religious power to a more bureaucratic system. During the19th century the influenece of western European style shaped the new buildings of the city of which many fine examples can be seen today. At the end of the century the Ottomans were losing power and the threat of war in Europe finally put an end to centuries of imperial power with the revolution in 1923 and the founding of the Turkish republic.