About Istanbul
Napoleon Bonaparte, which left a mark in the history of the world and made the French Empire from 1804 to 1814, once said, “If the world were a single country, its capital would be Istanbul.” You can come across thousands of discourses of various politicians, philosophers, scientists and poets about Istanbul.
So how much do you know about this ancient city Istanbul where civilizations meet? Let’s take a brief look at the history, population, economy and climate information of Istanbul, which brings together the continent of Asia and Europe.
History
The history of Istanbul dates back 8500 years with the Neolithic age settlement, which came to light with the excavations of the Yenikapı Theodosius Port, and a new era has been opened about the cultural, artistic, geological change and urban archeology that the city has undergone.
Undoubtedly, the most striking feature of Istanbul’s history is that it has been the capital of three universal empires such as Rome, Byzantine and Ottoman Empire. A.D. The Roman Empire expanded very much in the 4th century; Due to its strategic location, Istanbul was chosen as the new capital by the Emperor Constantine instead of Rome.
The city was reorganized in more than 6 years, the walls were expanded, temples, official buildings, palaces, baths and hippodrome were built. With the great ceremonies held in 330, it was officially announced that the city was the capital of the Roman Empire. The city, which was known as the names of Second Rome and New Rome at the beginning of the near age, was later called “Byzantion” and Constantinople in late periods.
It is understood that the emperors after the Great Constantine continued to beautify the city. The first churches in the city were also built after Constantine. Due to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, Istanbul has been the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) for many years. The city was rebuilt in the Byzantine period was extended again by walls.
The magnificent city walls, which are 6492 m long today, were built by Emperor II. Theodosius. In the 6th century city, the population of which exceeded half a million, another golden age was experienced under the rule of Emperor Justinyen. Hagia Sophia, which has reached today, is a work of this period.
Latin sovereignty, which was a black period between 726-842, started with the invasion of the city in 1204 of the 4th Crusade, and all the churches, monasteries and monuments have been plundered for years. The city, whose administration was taken over by the Byzantines in 1261, could not regain its former wealth.
Istanbul was conquered by Turks in 1453 after a 53-day siege. Fatih Sultan Mehmet’s huge guns, used for the first time in the history of war, are an important reason for exceeding the walls of Istanbul. The capital of the Ottoman Empire was moved here, the population of the city was increased with immigrants brought from various parts of the country, and the development works of the empty and devastated city were started. Freedom of religion and social rights were given to the old people of the city, and they were ensured to continue their lives.
Since the Ottoman Sultans were the Caliphs since the 16th century, Istanbul has been the center of the entire Islamic world. Under the rule of the Sultans, the city was completely reconstructed and took a fascinating atmosphere.
After the frequent contacts with the Western world since the 19th century, mosques and palaces began to be built on the shores of the Bosphorus, in the style of European architecture. Many palaces built in a short time are also symbols of the last period of the Ottoman Empire.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Istanbul witnessed the end of the Ottoman Empire. While the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with the support of the Turkish Nation, started a struggle with his fellow soldiers to save the land of the homeland. Following the War of Independence won by the will of the nation; Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923.
In this process, moving the capital to Ankara did not change the importance of Istanbul. This unique city continues to be one of the most important culture-tourism-art-finance and trade capitals in the world with its fascinating appearance.
Population
Istanbul 2020 population is 15,713,258 according to estimated data. This population data is estimated based on the population growth rates in the old years.
In Istanbul province, which has a surface area of 5.313 square kilometers, 2921 people per square kilometer.
Climate
Istanbul, which hosts the Asian and European continents, has a transition climate between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean and is one of the most rainy cities in the Marmara Region.
The lowest temperature throughout the year is -11, the highest temperature is +40 degrees, and the average relative humidity is 75%.
Although all the months of the year are humid in Istanbul, the period in which the city has the highest humidity is determined as December-January with a rate of 80-85%.
Although snowfalls are not frequent due to the high humidity, there is little snowfall in the period between December and March.
Economy
Istanbul is the most important center of the Turkish economy. It is a kind of backbone, brain and heart. One third of the industry, one third of the importation and one fifth of the export are made from Istanbul. Turkey’s largest ındustry, trade, transportation, advertising and economic institutions in Istanbul.
In Istanbul, 40% of gross product is provided from industry, 30% from trade and the rest from other sectors. The share of agriculture is only 1%. The budget is the main source of Turkey in Istanbul. Approximately 37% of the total taxes are collected from Istanbul. An average of 2 people work in each family in Istanbul.
