Discount Hotels Istanbul
Historical interest: Istanbul
    
Prompted by the oracle at Delphi, a man named Byzas established a town on the
site of present day Istanbul around 657 BC. Although conquered by Alexander the
Great and eventually subsumed by the Roman Empire, Byzantium fared pretty well
until it annoyed a Roman emperor by backing his rival in a civil war; it was subsequently
destroyed.
A new city was erected in 330 AD on the Golden Horn, at first called New Rome
but quickly rechristened Constantinople after the new Roman emperor. The city
was regarded as the capital of the Eurasian world, thanks in large part to its
magnificent architecture; many of the Christian churches and palaces are still
visible today.
Constantinople's history mirrored that of the Byzantine Empire, and it was
one of the most frequently besieged cities in the world. Before the Turkish
conquest, its assailants included the Arabs, the Bulgarians, and the armies
of the Fourth Crusade, which twice succeeded in taking the city.
After Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, the city became the capital
of the Ottoman, or Turkish, Empire. The turn of the 20th century was greeted
with more nationalist uprisings in Macedonia, Crete and Armenia; Turkish stability
hit a new low after the country opted to side with Germany during WWI, and the
result was the British occupation of Istanbul.
The Turkish War of Independence, during which revitalised nationalist forces
fought off invaders from Greece, France and Italy, finally led to the birth
of the Turkish Republic in 1923. The name of the city was officially changed
to Istanbul in 1930. The city's population increased significantly in the 1950s.
Since the 1970s, the infrastructure has improved, with new roads and bridges
as well as tramway networks being constructed. Since the 1980s, significant
conservation efforts have been underway, particularly in the city centre. In
1985, several historic areas of Istanbul, including Aya Sofya and the Suleimaniye
Mosque, were designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
http://www.istanbulcityguide.com
Selection of hotels in this region:
Ceylan InterContinental Istanbul | | Nanda Hotel | | The Marmara Hotel | | Swissotel Istanbul The Bosphorus | | Conrad Istanbul | |
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full list of hotels and online booking
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