Constantinople

Constantinople was the imperial capital of the Roman Empire (Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire), the Latin Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922). Strategically located between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara at the point where Europe meets Asia, Byzantine Constantinople had been the capital of a Christian empire, successor to ancient Grece and Rome. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.

Depending on the background of its rulers, it often had several different names at any given time; among the most common were Byzantium, New Rome, (Latin: Nova Roma), Constantinople, and Stamboul. It was also called Tsargrad (City of the Emperors) by the Slavs, while to the Vikings it was known as Miklagarð, "the Great City", similar to the common Greek appellation "the City".

It was officially renamed to its modern Turkish name Istanbul in 1930 with the Turkish Postal Service Law, as part of Ataürk's national reforms. This name in turn derives from the Greek phrase eis tēn polin (to the City Constantinople).