The old name of Istanbul was Byzantium, later changed to Constantinople.
Istanbul's history is rich and complex, marked by various names reflecting its successive rulers and cultural shifts. Here's a breakdown:
- Byzantium: This was the city's original name, dating back to its founding by the Greeks in the 7th century BC.
- Constantinople: In 330 AD, Roman Emperor Constantine I rebuilt the city and made it the capital of the Roman Empire. He renamed it Constantinople in his honor. Constantinople remained the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) for over a thousand years and was a major center of culture and trade.
- Istanbul: After the Ottoman conquest in 1453, the city gradually became known as Istanbul, although Constantinople remained in use, particularly in the West. Officially, the name Istanbul was adopted in 1930.
Therefore, the most significant and widely recognized "old name" of Istanbul is Constantinople.
