I.

Introduction

İstanbul (formerly Constantinople), city in north-west Turkey, capital of İstanbul Province, a major port, and the largest city in Turkey. The province and the city are situated on both sides of the Bosporus, the strait that separates Europe from Asia. İstanbul Province is bounded on the north by the Black Sea, on the east by Kocaeli Province, on the south and south-west by the Sea of Marmara, and on the west by Tekirdağ Province. İstanbul is historically important as the capital first of the Byzantine Empire and later of the Ottoman Empire. In its influence on the development of Roman law, Greek philosophy and art, and Christian theology and on Church history, Byzantine-ruled İstanbul rivalled the cultural contributions of Athens, Jerusalem, Rome, and Paris. The city has spanned the divide between Europe and Asia for more than 2,000 years. Population 11,174,257 (2007 estimate).