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Table of Contents
Istanbul is Turkey’s most populous city. It is the economic, historical, and cultural center of Turkey. The city is strategically located between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Istanbul is actually the largest city in Europe.
See the fact file below for more information on the Istanbul or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Istanbul worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
ETYMOLOGY
- The city was first known as Byzantium, which may have been derived from Byzas, the leader of the Greek colonists.
- The city then became known as Constantinople meaning “City of Constantine” after Constantine the Great made the city the eastern capital of the Roman Empire in 330 CE.
- It was commonly referred to as Constantinople until the Turkish Republic was established and adopted the name Istanbul.
- The name İstanbul came from a Medieval Greek phrase meaning “to the city.”
- An Istanbul native is called İstanbullu or Istanbulite.
GEOGRAPHY
- Istanbul is located in northwestern Turkey.
- It has a total area of 5,343 square kilometers.
- The city is divided by the Bosphorus strait into two sides: the European and Asian sides.
- The city is also divided by a harbor called the Golden Horn.
- Istanbul is characterized by seven hills with imperial mosques at their peaks.
- In Istanbul, the highest point is Çamlıca Hill, with an altitude of 288 meters.
- The city of Istanbul is close to the North Anatolian Fault, which is near the boundary between the Eurasian and African plates.
HISTORY
- Artifacts have been found dating back to the 6th millennium BCE.
- On the European side, the first settlement was a Thracian settlement in the 1st millennium BCE while on the Asian side, the first settlement dates from 5500 to 3500 BCE.
- It was not until 660 BCE when the city proper was settled by the Greek and Byzantium was established.
- Byzantium gained independence from the Greeks in 355 BCE and became a part of the Roman Empire in 73 CE which resulted in a brief period of devastation for the city.
- Constantine the Great became the Roman Emperor in 324.
- As emperor, he planned to replace Byzantium with a new Christian city, which was named Nova Roma but commonly called Constantinople.
- On May 11, 330, Constantinople became the official capital of the Roman Empire, then as the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
- Constantinople was the biggest and wealthiest city in Europe during the Medieval Period, but it started to decline in 1025 when the city was pillaged by crusaders.
- The Latin Empire was established at this time.
- The Byzantine Empire was restored in 1261.
- In May 1453, after an eight-week siege, Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople and made it the new capital of the Ottoman Empire.
- The Catholic cathedral of Hagia Sophia was converted into an imperial mosque.
- Under the leadership of Mehmed II, the city became more cosmopolitan and accepting of different religions and races, particularly the Greeks.
- The conversion of the city into an Islamic center was because of the Ottoman Empire.
- Constantinople was reconstructed and modernized.
- The city also became linked to the European railway network during the Ottoman period.
- In the early 20th century, a series of wars occurred which afflicted the Ottoman empire’s capital and resulted in a coup d’état in 1913.
- The Ottoman Empire joined the First World War in support of the Central Powers and was defeated.
- The empire was dissolved by the Allied powers on April 11, 1920.
- Ankara was proclaimed as the capital of Turkey in 1923 to distance the new republic from the Ottoman period.
- The city saw massive structural developments during the 1940s and 1950s.
CLIMATE
- The northern half of Istanbul has oceanic subtropical climates, but in the south is warmer and less humid.
RELIGION
- From being a cosmopolitan society, Istanbul became more homogenized as an Islamic region since the end of the Ottoman Empire.
- The majority of people in Istanbul are Muslim.
ECONOMY
- The city has a mostly industrial economy.
- Some of the top products in Istanbul are vehicles, tobacco, electronics, and olive oil.
- The tourism industry of Istanbul is also booming: it was the world’s fifth most visited city in 2015.
CULTURE
- Istanbul was famous for being the country’s cultural center until the new Turkish Republic selected Ankara to be the capital.
- Simply speaking, Turkey’s cultural roots are in Istanbul, but the new capital of Ankara has claimed the present glory.
- However, since Istanbul was the heart of the country’s film industry, the International Istanbul Film Festival was established in the 1980s.
- Other festivals include the Istanbul International Music Festival and the Istanbul Biennial which is a contemporary art exhibit.
LANDMARKS
- Modern art museums opened in Istanbul in the 2000s, such as the İstanbul Modern and the Pera Museum.
- Since its establishment in 1461, the Grand Bazaar has become one of the world’s largest covered markets.
- Istanbul is also popular for its historic taverns and seafood restaurants.
- Turkey’s oldest sports clubs are also found in Istanbul.
- The Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul is one of Europe’s largest indoor arenas.
Istanbul Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Istanbul across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Istanbul worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Istanbul which is Turkey’s most populous city. It is the economic, historical, and cultural center of Turkey. The city is strategically located between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Istanbul is actually the largest city in Europe.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Istanbul Facts
- Istanbul Overview
- History Questions
- Arranging Events
- Geography Blanks
- Istanbul Crossword
- Famous Istanbulites
- More About Turkey
- Istanbul vs. Ankara
- Istanbul Itinerary
- I Stand With Istanbul
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Link will appear as Istanbul Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 26, 2019
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.