Istanbul

Research papers on Istanbul can focus on any aspect of the city, including its rich religious history, the geography of the city or the outstanding architectual examples within Istanbul's boarders. The writers at Paper Masters will custom write research on any aspect of Istanbul you need covered.

As the only city in the world positioned astride two continents, Istanbul was destined to be unique.This unique city is the home to both the ancient poet Sappho and the Hagia Sophia, one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world.Writing in the mid-sixteenth century Peter Gyllius labeled the Bosporous the "strait that surpasses all straits, because with one key it opens and closes two worlds, two seas".Once the imperial home of the world's grandest ancient civilizations, Istanbul is the connecting point for those worlds.

Istanbul is located between Bulgaria and Georgia in the narrow strip of land separating the Aegean and Black Seas. The main part of the city is located at Europe's southeastern tip, and is split from Istanbul's Asian section by the Bosporous Strait and the Dardanelles.Two modern bridges spanning the Bosporous connect Istanbul's separate sectors.

• The Bosporous Bridge was constructed in 1973 and acts as an extension of the inner-city traffic ring.
• The newest bridge, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge stems from the outer-city traffic ring.

Throughout history Istanbul has been the home to several ancient cultures, and has known many names.First populated by Dorian Greeks, this great city began as Byzantium.Byzantium was a Greek polis, or city-state, known for its democratic traditions and commercial strengths.

Byzantium succumbed to the Roman Empire in 73 A.D., but was allowed to retain its cultural, government, and commercial traditions. This freedom would end, however, in 193 when Septimis Severus brought the city under his control. Severus punished the residents of Byzantium for fighting against him by razing the city. Byzantium remained a ruined city for several years, until the Romans realized that a city with such commercial importance could not be allowed to lie in ruin.

The city's name changed again in 330 A.D., when the Roman Emperor Constantine expanded its borders to house his new capital. The Roman imperial city was officially named Nova Roma Constantinopolitana, or, New Rome, the City of Constantine. From this point until 1453, Constantinople remained a truly great city, with all of the religious, cultural, and governmental trappings fitting the seat of an empire.

In 1453, with the conquest of Sultan Mehmet II, Constantinople became the center of the Ottoman Empire. The capital's name was changed again, this time to Istanbul. The Ottoman Emperor immediately began large-scale construction, adding mosques and palaces to the city's beautiful architectural collage. Mehmet II also instituted changes in the governance of the city's people.Each non-Muslim ethnic group was collected under their religion's leader. These religious leaders were allowed great authority in governing his people, with responsibilities ranging from the religion to legal justice.This policy was used throughout the Ottoman Empire as it was the most effective method of governing an empire with countless ethnic groups.