Istanbul- book review

As the capital of empires for over a thousand years and straddling two continents, Istanbul is one of the world’s most fascinating cities but I’ve never visited it. I can at least say I’ve read its entire history after having completed Istanbul- A Tale of Three Cities by Bettany Hughes, with the “three cities” referring to distinct stages of the city’s past as Byzantion, Constantinople, and Istanbul, which we now know it as.

Sited on both Asia and Europe via its strategic location along the Bosphorus Straits, the city has served as a significant part from at least the 6^th century BC of empires and nations for Greeks, Romans, and Turks. As a Greek settlement called Byzantion, it existed during the Peloponnesian War before later serving as the eastern capital of the Roman Empire after being officially renamed Constantinople in 330 AD, and then becoming the full capital of the Eastern arm of the Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, after it split into two halves. For over 900 years, Constantinople maintained this status before being captured by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, later to be called the Conqueror for this feat, in 1453. For the next 450-plus years, as the capital of the Ottoman Empire and renamed Istanbul, its majestic churches were transformed to mosques as Islam replaced Orthodox Christianity as the main religion.

In the 20^th century, Istanbul becomes the capital of the new state of Turkey, which replaced the dismembered and defeated Ottoman Empire after the end of World War I.

There are triumphs, prosperity and luxury, and intrigue as emperors were overthrown and heirs disfigured. Besides its rulers, Istanbul’s soldiers, merchants, craftsmen, clerics, harems, eunuchs, and even a white slave trade involving captives from the nearby Caucasus region are all detailed as are its cosmopolitanism, bustling commerce, and vivid architecture.

The city had to constantly fight off invaders such as the Arabs, Vandals, Crusaders, Vikings and the Seljuks before succumbing to the Ottomans, its final conqueror. There are tragedies such as vicious sackings by foreign armies such as European knights in the Fourth Crusade, and in the 20^th century, the end of the expulsion of Armenians, Greeks, and other minorities and their centuries-long presence in the city reduced to mere traces. Istanbul’s 19^th and 20^th century history becomes intertwined with the fortunes of the Ottomans whose gradual decline leads to their eventual defeat and end in World War I, and the ensuing birth of modern Turkey in 1920. A war between Greece and Turkey followed World War I, which was won by the latter and resulted in 150,000 of Istanbul’s Greek residents moving away to Greece. The capital of Turkey is moved to Ankara in 1923, though Istanbul still remains the country’s most important city, and the book ends in that decade.

I often read entire books about countries or regions rather than cities, but this book was well worth it in understanding and appreciating one of the world’s greatest cities. Hughes makes it immensely readable by making the chapters brisk and featuring numerous maps illustrating changes to the city and its empires, and the centuries and eras flow quickly. It is also clear that despite the many centuries of turmoil and empires and attackers and rulers, Istanbul, the Queen of Cities is proud, charming, and ageless.