What was the Turkish city of Istanbul called before 1930?

The city of Constantinople is an ancient city in modern-day Turkey that’s now known as Istanbul. First settled in the seventh century B.C., Constantinople developed into a thriving port thanks to its prime geographic location between Europe and Asia and its natural harbor. In 330 A.D., it became the site of Roman Emperor Constantine’s “New Rome,” a Christian city of immense wealth and magnificent architecture. Constantinople stood as the seat of the Byzantine Empire for the next 1,100 years, enduring periods of great fortune and horrific sieges, until being overrun by Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire in 1453.

Early in the following century, the Balkan Wars, World War I and the Greco-Turkish War wiped out the remains of the Ottoman Empire.

The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne formally established the Republic of Turkey, which moved its capital to Ankara. Old Constantinople, long known informally as Istanbul, officially adopted the name in 1930.

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21 Comments

Puppermom

🎤Sing it! “ Istanbul was Constantinople.” “Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople.”

Frank Cowell

Actually it was known by all those names at various dates before 1930

Chris Moore Canter

I knew the answer right away, but can never not associate it with Cloris Leachman as Maw Maw on the t.v. show Raising Hope.

Snowy the Winter White

I realized that I learned all of the questions in Social Studies when I was younger.

Corey Taylor

leiertaylo, RATS! You beat me to the punchline.

Phil Kennelty

Puppermom, Moxy Fruvous!

Najmi Abbas

🎶 Take me back, Constantinople, now it's Istanbul' 🎶 My fave city!

Irene Townsend

earlepg, Didn't know that song or anything about a song, but I remember it been called Constantinople when I was young, part of our Geography classes

Ron Gosling

Lynne Zeman, wrong it was named Constantinople in 324 AD. By Constantine the Great. Before that it was Byzantium.

teacherchicky

Puppermom, I was just thinking of the same thing!

John W Shreve

chris reeves, Did people stare at her? They stare at me.

Jas Newman

All the options are correct because the site bore each of those names at some time "before 1930."

chris reeves

Puppermom, That made me think of my Nan who died in 1987. She always used to sing that song.

Lynne Zeman

The answer did not state why a city, named Constantinople for well over 2,500 years would have its name changed. Or why it was "informally" known as Istanbul rather than its original name.