Istanbul

5/1/25

Overview

Straddling the point where the Mediterranean and Black Seas meet, Istanbul is a city of two continents: Europe and Asia. Originally settled as Byzantium, it would later be named Constantinople before being taken in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks and given the name Istanbul. Join Active Minds as we explore the rich and fascinating story of one of the world’s great cities.

Key Lecture Points

  • The city known today as Istanbul was previously known as Lygos, then Byzantium, and then Constantinople. There have been human settlements on the “historic peninsula” of Constantinople for almost three millennia.  Located on the Bosporus peninsula, a straight that separates the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, the city is one of the crucial junctures where Europe meets Asia.
  • It has stood at the intersection of cultural and religious power in Eurasia. Western and Eastern Rome, the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, Christianity and Islam, political Europe and Asia have all played a role in the colorful but at times conflict ridden history of the city. 
  • Among other things, that rich history is reflected in Istanbul’s remarkable architecture, from Roman-era walls and churches (later converted to mosques) to Ottoman-era bazaars and palaces.  Today’s city of Istanbul, home to nearly 16 million people, is a bustling metropolis which, while not the capital of modern Turkey, is still at the heart of its economy.
  • President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994-1998. The strongest political rival against his authoritarian regime is the current (suspended) Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, who was elected in 2019 and arrested in March 2025.

Discussion Questions

  • Istanbul is a city built from many cultures. How did each play a role in making the city what it is today?
  • Have you ever visited Istanbul? What were your impressions? If not, would you want to visit Istanbul? Why or why not?
  • Do you see any parallels between President Erdoğan’s rise to power and contemporary political events? If so, what links do you see?

More to Explore

Books For Further Reading

  • Aran, Lale Surmen and Tankut Aran. Rick Steves Istanbul with Ephesus & Cappadocia. Rick Steves, 2024. 432 pages. The Istanbul-based Arans provide one of the most up-to-date travel guides available for visitors to the city.
  • Crowley, Roger. 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West. Grand Central, 2006. 328 pages. Crowley presents an in-depth account of events leading up to the fall of Constantinople, the 55-day siege itself, and the aftermath that continues to echo more than five centuries later. (While a valuable historical account, the book’s attitude about the “clash of civilizations” between Islam and the West is very much a product of its publication in 2006.)
  • Madden, Thomas F. Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World. Penguin, 2017. 400 pages. Highly-regarded history professor Thomas Madden presents the first single-volume history of Istanbul published in the 21st century— “a biography of the city at the center of civilizations past and present.”