Constantinople (Greek: Κωνσταντινούπολη) was the capital of the
Byzantine Empire and, following its fall in 1453, of the
Ottoman Empire until 1930, when it was renamed Istanbul as part of
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's Turkish national reforms. Strategically located between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara at the point where Europe meets Asia, Constantinople was extremely important as the successor to ancient Rome and the largest and wealthiest city in Europe throughout the
Middle Ages, it was known as the "Queen of Cities."
The city has had many names throughout history. Depending on the background of people, and their language and ethnicity, it often had several different names at any given time; among the most common were Byzantium, New Rome, Constantinople and
Stamboul. Usually, the name Constantinople refers to the period from its founding by
Constantine I to the Muslim conquest.
