BYZANTIUM was a Greek colony founded in 667 BC
1. In 33O AD the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium, he renamed it Constantinople and established the Eastern Roman Empire.
2. Constantine became Emperor in 272 AD ( to 337 AD) He was the first Emperor to convert to Christianity. Constantinople gave him the chance of rebuilding a new Greek Christian Roman city.
3. This new capital in the East became the new seat of learning, prosperity and the arts after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. It was the one shinning capital in Eastern Europe throughout the dark ages and middle ages .
A KEY DEFENCE OF THIS NEW CITY WAS ITS WALLED FORTICATIONS
4 FUTURE EMPERORS AFTER CONSTINTINE CONTINUED TO BUILD CONSTANTINOPLE, AND EXPAND TRADE BECAUSE OF THE CITIES LOCATION ON THE BOSPORUS. GOODS CAME FROM KIEV IN THE NORTH EYGPT IN THE SOUTH AND FROM CENTRAL ASIA.
5. THE EMPIR PROSPERED UNDER ONE OF THE GREATEST THE EMPERORS - JUSTINIAN 527 AD - 565 AD HE IMPROVED OLD ROMAN LAWS CHAMPIONED THE ARTS, AND DEVELOPED A UNIQUE BLEND OF ROMAN, GREEK, CHRISTIAN CULTURE & ARCHITECTURE, HE MARRIED THEODORA WHO IMPROVED WOMANS RIGHTS AND CHANGED DIVORCE LAWS TO PROTECT WOMEN.
6. WHILE THE REST OF EUROPE WAS EXPERIENCING A DARK AGE THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE FLOURISHED.
7. THE HAGIA SOPHIA IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE.
THE HAGIA SOPHIA HOLY WISDOM BUILT BETWEEN 573 - 578 AD
IT WAS ORIGINALLY A GREEK OTHODOX CATHEDRAL UNTIL 1453 WHEN CONSTANTINOPLE WAS SACKED BY THE ISLAMIC OTTOMAN TURKS - IT THEN BECAME AN ISLAMIC MOSQUE UNTIL 1935 WHEN IT WAS SECULARISED AND RE OPENED AS A MUSEUM.
8. AFTER JUSTINIAN'S DEATH THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE FACED MANY THREATS FROM THE PERSIANS AND TURKS TO THE EAST, THE ARABS TO THE SOUTH AND GERMANIC TIBES TO THE NORTH. THE FORTIFIDE WALLS AND THE SEA WERE GREAT DEFENCES TO ATTACKS.
9. BYZANTINE CHRISTIANITY DID NOT RECOGNISE THE POPE IN THE WEST. THEY CHOOSE A PATRIARCH THE HIGHEST CHRISTIAN OFFICE. UNLIKE THE LATIN WEST GREEK WAS THE OFFICIAL CHRISTIAN LANGUAGE.
THIS SCHISM OR SPLIT IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED IN 1O54 AD
1O. A 2ND GOLDEN AGE LASTED FROM 9OO AD - MID 1OOO AD WITH TRADE TO VENICE AND RUSSIA. BUT BY THE LATE 11OO'S AD MUSLIM ARMIES WERE BECOMING MORE POWERFUL. IN 1453 AD A FORCE OF 7O,OOO SURROUNDED THE CITY - INSIDE A FORCE OF 7OOO SOLDIERS HELD OUT FOR 2 MONTHS AND THEN THE CITY WALLS WERE BREACHED AND THE EMPIRE ENDED.
THE MOSLEM CONQUERERS RENAMED THE CITY INSTABUL IT BECAME THE CENTRE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE FOR THE NEXT 5OO YRS.
ISTAMBUL TODAY
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