Istanbul
[ is-tahn-bool, -tan-; is-tahn-boo l, -tan-; Turkish is-tahm-boo l ]
/ ˌɪs tɑnˈbul, -tæn-; ˈɪs tɑnˌbʊl, -tæn-; Turkish ɪsˈtɑm bʊl /
noun
a port in NW Turkey, on both sides of the Bosporus: built by Constantine I on the site of ancient Byzantium; capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and of the Ottoman Empire; capital removed to Ankara 1923.
Also
Stambul,
Stamboul.
Formerly
Constantinople.
Example sentences from the Web for istanbul
British Dictionary definitions for istanbul
Istanbul
/ (ˌɪstænˈbuːl) /
noun
a port in NW Turkey, on the western (European) shore of the Bosporus: the largest city in Turkey; founded in about 660 bc by Greeks; refounded by Constantine the Great in 330 ad as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire; taken by the Turks in 1453 and remained capital of the Ottoman Empire until 1922; industrial centre for shipbuilding, textiles, etc. Pop: 9 760 000 (2005 est))
Ancient name: Byzantium Former name (330–1926): Constantinople
Cultural definitions for istanbul
Istanbul
[ (is-tahm-bool, is-tam-bool, is-tahm-boohl, is-tam-boohl) ]
Largest city in Turkey, located in the northwestern part of the country on both sides of the Bosporus.
notes for Istanbul
Formerly called Byzantium, then
Constantinople, the city was the capital consecutively of the eastern branch of the
Roman Empire, of the
Byzantine Empire, and of the
Ottoman Empire.
notes for Istanbul
It is the seat of the
Eastern Orthodox Church.