Constantinople

A city founded by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great as capital of the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Constantine ruled over both parts of the empire from Constantinople, which was later capital of the Byzantine Empire. Constantinople was conquered by Turkish forces in the fifteenth century.

An empire, centered at Constantinople, that began as the eastern portion of the Roman Empire; it included parts of Europe and western Asia. As the western Roman Empire declined, the Byzantine Empire grew in importance, and it remained an important power in Europe until the eleventh century. The Byzantine Empire was conquered by Turkish forces in the fifteenth century.

The Byzantine emperor was an absolute ruler (see absolute monarchy), and the laws and customs associated with his empire were strict and complex. His rule was supported by the Christian Church in the region, which later became the independent Eastern Orthodox Church.

An empire developed by the Turks between the fourteenth and twentieth centuries; it was succeeded in the 1920s by the present-day republic of Turkey. At its peak, the Ottoman Empire included, besides present-day Turkey, large parts of the Middle East and southeastern Europe.

An empire developed by Turks between the fourteenth and twentieth centuries. It was succeeded in the 1920s by the present-day republic of Turkey. At its greatest extent, the Ottoman Empire included many parts of southeastern Europe and the Middle East.