Constantinople

Why was Istanbul home to royals, thinkers and artists from East and West?

Apart from giving refuge to the troubled and destitute, the city also stole the heart of many renowned artists, thinkers and philosophers.

Alexis Gritchenko: A refugee artist in a city under occupation

Previously set to be held between February and May this year, the Alexis Gritchenko exhibition, featuring works between 1919 and 1921, was delayed due to the coronavirus. It will be open from now until November at Istanbul’s Mesher exhibition space.

Turks mark 567th anniversary of conquering the 'Queen of Cities'

On May 29, 1453, the ancient Roman city of Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks. Many historians consider the event – and this day – as marking the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of Europe's early modern period.

The Bosnian-born Ottoman commander who stopped Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte's ambition to establish an empire in the East was crushed in 1799 at the Siege of Acre by Ahmed Jazzar Pasha.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s future-proof design for an Istanbul bridge

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say that had it been built, a design for a bridge in the transcontinental city would have been viable.

Leonardo da Vinci and the Ottoman Empire

Five hundred years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci’s interaction with the Ottomans is memorialised in his designs for a bridge and his overtures to the Ottoman Sultans of the time.

Volunteers collect garbage in Istanbul to raise climate awareness

The volunteers aren't part of any official group and organise events with the aim to encourage people to care about their children's future - the environment.

Bennett wins Tour of Turkey opening stage

The 55th edition of the Presidential Tour of Turkey cycle race began with 17 teams from around the world. Istanbul is the start and the finish point for this UCI World Tour event.

Hagia Sophia will be called a mosque – Erdogan

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says tourists who will come to visit mosques in Istanbul will visit "Hagia Sophia not as a museum, but as a mosque."

Young Istanbulites, their reasons to vote in the March 31 local elections

While some young people appreciate rapid transformation in the city, many others feel there's much more to do to preserve Istanbul's charm.

'We know what to do' – Erdogan, on demands to open Hagia Sophia for prayers

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says people shouldn't be deceived by terrorist Brenton Tarrant's manifesto that contained references to Turkey and Hagia Sophia museum.

Five hidden Istanbul havens tourists seldom hear about

Think you know the city? Think again.