Question

What is the present name of the City of Constantinople?
A) Rome
B) Istanbul
C) Benzantine
D) Same

Answer 1

Hint: The Roman Empire (330–395), the Byzantine Empire (395–1204 and 1261–1453), the Latin Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922) all had Constantinople as their capital city. Emperor Constantine the Great renamed the old city of Byzantium "New Rome" in 324 and established it as the new capital of the Roman Empire.

Complete answer:
Istanbul is the local name for Constantinople, an ancient city in present-day Turkey. Constantinople, which was founded in the seventh century B.C., grew into a bustling port due to its strategic location between Europe and Asia, as well as its natural harbour. It was the site of Roman Emperor Constantine's "New Rome" in 330 A.D., a Christian city of enormous wealth and great architecture. For the following 1,100 years, Constantinople served as the seat of the Byzantine Empire, weathering periods of great fortune and horrible sieges until it was conquered by Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire in 1453.

Istanbul has had a lot of different names over the years. Apart from the modern Turkish name, Byzantium, Constantinople, and Stamboul are the most well-known names. Different names are linked with distinct periods of its history, different languages, and different parts of the country.

Hence the correct answer is option 'A'.

Note: Originally, the term "Istanbul" did not apply to the entire city, but rather to the area of Istanbul contained within the city walls. Even before the invasion of 1453, the common name for the city in Turkish was Istanbul, but in official use by the Ottoman government, other names, such as Kostantiniyye, were favoured in particular contexts.