The City
An Ancient Capital: Dedicated in 330 AD by the Emperor Constantine, and renamed in his honor, Constantinople soon evolved into the capital of the Roman Empire. This “New Rome” echoed the glories of the classical past while establishing a new identity that was firmly Christian. After the fall of Rome in the fifth century, Constantinople’s power and influence continued to grow. Enriched by trade and conquest, it came to be known simply as “the City,” the richest and most glorious capital on earth.
An Impregnable Fortress: Almost a century after Constantine, work began on massive walls that would protect the City for more than a thousand years. Built during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius II, the triple walls were like nothing else on earth. Huns, Slavs, Persians, Arabs, Avars, Rus, Bulgars, Latin Crusaders, and Turks all laid siege to them without success. In all, Constantinople’s walls defeated more than
a dozen sieges before facing the new guns
designed for Sultan Mehmed.
A Center of Faith: Constantinople was founded as a Christian city. While it brought classical treasures from Rome and across the empire, its Christian identity dominated. In the sixth century, emperor Justinian the Great built a cathedral to stand as a testament to his empire’s faith. Called the Hagia Sophia, or church of Holy Wisdom, it was constructed as the largest cathedral in the world and decorated with golden mosaics. Surviving many earthquakes, it remained the center of the Orthodox faith until 1453.