Timeline of Istanbul

Greek colonists from Megara, an ancient city of Greece, led by King Byzas settled in a city which they named Chalcedon, which is now Kadikoy district on the Asian side of Istanbul.

The Greek settlers spread their colony to the other side of the Bosphorus strait, which is the European side of modern day Istanbul. They named it Byzantium in honor of their king.

The city of Byzantium was captured by the Persian Empire under the emperor Darius.

The Persians retreated from the city and it became part of the Athenian League, therefore coming under the protection and authority of Athens, Greece.

Byzantium was taken over by the Roman Empire.

The city was officially incorporated into the Roman Empire by Emperor Vespasian; however, it retained its status as a free state.

Post the death of Emperor Pertinax, the war of succession took place in which Septimius Severus won and ended up launching a three year long siege on Byzantium which completely ravaged the city.

Emperor Septimius Severus rebuilt the city and named it Augusta Antonina. The new city was almost double the size of the original Byzantium and was much more prosperous.

Emperor Constantine won the civil war within the Roman Empire by defeating Licinius, thus taking over the city.

The city was made the official capital of the Roman Empire by Emperor Constantine and its name was changed to Constantinople.

The death of Constantine saw the Roman Empire being divided into his three sons – Constantius, Constantien and Constans. The city of Constantinople came under Constantius’ share of the empire.

A series of defensive walls known as the Theodosian Walls were built under the rule of Emperor Theodosius II encircling all the seven hills of the city of Constantinople.

The Theodosian Walls were brought down by a string of earthquakes only to be rebuilt again within the next two months.

The western half of the Roman Empire declined completely with the last emperor being toppled by Germanic mercenaries.

One of the most popular emperors of the Byzantine Empire, Justinian I, took over the city of Constantinople.

A series of riots known as the Nika Riots broke out between the Emperor Justinian I and the general public of Constantinople, which was subdued when almost 30,000 rioters were killed in the Hippodrome. It was in the same year that the construction of the Hagia Sofia began after a church built on the same site was destroyed by fire during the riots.

The construction of the original structure of the Hagia Sofia was completed.

The Iconoclastic Crisis began under Emperor Leo III, who intended to remove all kinds of idol worship from the empire.

Empress Eirene took the mantle to overturn the efforts of Leo III and restore idol worship in the empire.

Empress Theodora, mother of child emperor Michael III, put an end to the Iconoclastic Crisis as she restored all the idols in the city of Constantinople.

The Rus’ – Byzantine War took place when a principality set up in Kiev crossed the Bosphorus and attacked the city of Constantinople. However, the invaders were subdued by Emperor Michael III.

Emperor Basil II put an end to the attacks of the Bulgarians on Constantinople. He was given the name ‘the Bulgar-slayer’ because of this reason.

Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes, the Byzantine Emperor, and his army were defeated by the Seljuk Turks in the Battle of Manzikert and the emperor was himself captured.

The first group of crusaders arrived in the outskirts of Constantinople marking the beginning of the First Crusade.

The Byzantine Empire declined in power and the city of Constantinople was taken over by the Latin Empire when they ransacked the city as a part of the Fourth Crusade. Count Baldwin of Flanders was chosen to be the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.

Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus and his armies comfortably overthrew the Latin Empire and the Byzantine Empire was once again established in the city of Constantinople.

A dangerous plague, known as Black Death, spread across the city of Constantinople and accounted for the life of many of its citizens.

The Ottoman Turks led by Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror defeated the Byzantine army under Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos and invaded the city of Constantinople, thereby marking the beginning of the rule of the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople and the downfall of the Byzantine Empire. Soon after the conquest, the name of the city was changed to Istanbul.

This year marked the commencement of the initial construction of the now famous marketplace, the Grand Bazaar, under the commissioning of Sultan Mehmet II.

The Eyup Sultan Mosque, which was the first mosque built by the Ottoman Turks in Istanbul, was completed in this year.

Sultan Mehmet II began efforts for the restoration of population in Constantinople by ordering the Greeks who had been deported as slaves or refugees due to different reasons to return to the city once again. In the same year, the construction of the Topkapi Palace began. The Palace went on to become the main residence for all the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire for almost 400 years.

The second imperial mosque of the Ottoman era, known as the Fatih Camii or Fatih Mosque, was commissioned by Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror.

One of the greatest sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Mehmet II, died of sickness and was succeeded by his eldest son, Bayezid II.

A major earthquake struck the city of Istanbul and caused as many as 10,000 casualties. The earthquake also resulted in destruction of several houses and mosques in the city.

Suleiman the Magnificent, the longest reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and arguably the greatest, succeeded his father Selim I to the throne. This marked the start of one of the most prosperous periods for Istanbul under the Ottoman rule and one of great cultural and architectural achievements.

Sehzade Mosque, built in memory of Suleiman the Magnificent’s eldest son, became the first mosque to be commissioned by the Sultan. It is also known to be the first imperial assignment undertaken by Mimar Sinan, one of the greatest and most popular architects of the Ottoman Empire.

The construction of one of Istanbul’s most famous mosques, the Suleymaniye Mosque, began on the order of Suleiman the Magnificent. Till date, the Suleymaniye Mosque is the largest mosque in the city of Istanbul.

The reign of Suleiman the Magnificent came to an end with his death during an Ottoman battle in Hungary. He was succeeded by one of his sons, Selim II, who was born of the Sultan’s Ukrainian wife, Hurrem Sultan.

Sultan Selim II died after a period of fever which resulted from a head injury. He was succeeded by his wife, Nurbanu Sultan, who became the de facto ruler of the Ottoman Empire until her son Murad III grew up.

The Atik Valide Mosque, which is considered to be the last major work of architect Mimar Sinan, was completed under the commissioning of Nurbanu Sultan.

The death of Murad III saw his wife Safiye Sultan becoming Valide Sultan (queen mother) to her son Sultan Mehmet III.

Safiye Sultan ordered for the construction of the Yeni Camii or the New Mosque in Istanbul.

Sultan Mehmet III died and was succeeded by his son Ahmed I at a young age of 13.

Ahmed I made the decision of dispossessing his grandmother Safiye Sultan of all her power and abandoned her to the Old Palace.

Sultan Ahmed I made his biggest contribution to the cultural and architectural history of Istanbul with the completion of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque. It is one of the few old mosques in Istanbul that is still functional as a proper mosque.

After the death of his elder brother Ahmed I, Mustafa I took over the Ottoman Empire for a short period of two years.

Despite his poor mental health, Mustafa I once again became Sultan for a couple of years following the death of Osman II, son of his brother Ahmed I.

Another son of Ahmed I, Murad IV took over from Mustafa I. Murad IV was only 11 years old at the time and therefore, his mother Kosem Sultan took all the decisions in his favor.

Sultan Murad IV died of gout and was succeeded to the throne of the Ottoman Empire by his brother Ibrahim I.

Sultan Ibrahim I was detained and imprisoned in the Topkapi Palace by an angry revolting mob.

In the witnessing of officials of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Ibrahim I was strangled to death with the consent of his mother Kosem Sultan.

The successor to Ibrahim I was his son Mehmet IV, who was only six years old at the time. His mother Turhan Hatice took care of the Ottoman Empire as Valide Sultan until he grew up.

One of the greatest fires in the history of Istanbul, known as the Great Fire of 1660, happened on this day. It is said that almost two thirds of the city’s area was destroyed with extensive damages to several mosques, houses, and other buildings in the city. Several thousands of people lost their lives to the fire and the plague that occurred as a result of it.

The construction of one of the largest bazaars in the city of Istanbul, the Spice Bazaar, began as part of a drive to rebuild the city post the Great Fire of 1660.

The Yeni Camii or New Mosque which began construction in 1597 was finally completed and inaugurated on the order of Valide Sultan Turhan Hatice.

This day marked the beginning of the Great Turkish War, which was fought between the Ottoman Empire and a Holy League, an alliance formed by a number of European superpowers.

Sultan Mehmet IV was dethroned by the Janissaries and held captive in the Topkapi Palace.

Suleiman II, younger brother of Mehmet IV, succeeded him to the Ottoman imperial throne in Istanbul.

The short reign of Sultan Suleiman II ended with his death at the Edirne Palace. The successor to his throne was Ahmed II, who was another son of Ibrahim I.

Sultan Ahmed II also ruled for a very short period of 4 years as he succumbed to disease and sorrow. Mustafa II, son of Mehmet IV, took over the Ottoman Empire after his death.

The Great Turkish War came to an end with the Ottoman Empire being defeated and the Treaty of Karlowitz being signed between the Ottomans and the Holy League. This defeat marked the beginning of the gradual decline of the Ottoman rule.

After the death of Sultan Mustafa II, his brother Ahmed III succeeded him as the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

The Treaty of Passarowitz signed between the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria and the Republic of Venice on the other began a peaceful period under the Ottoman rule known as the Tulip Era.

The reign of Sultan Mahmud I, son of Sultan Mustafa II, began when he succeeded Ahmed III to the Ottoman throne.

The Patrona Halil Revolt, which was in opposition to the reforms introduced by Ahmed III, took place on this day and brought an end to the Tulip Era of the Ottoman Empire.

Mahmud I ordered the construction of the famous Nuruosmaniye Mosque in this year. It was the first mosque in Istanbul to use the Baroque style of architecture.

Following the death of Mahmud I, his brother Osman III became the new Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

The construction of the Nuruosmaniye Mosque was completed by architect Mustafa Aga in this year.

Mustafa III, one of the sons of Sultan Ahmed III, succeeded Osman III to the throne of the Ottoman Empire.

The construction of the Laleli Mosque started on the order of Sultan Mustafa III.

The Zeynep Sultan Mosque was built by architect Mehmet Tahir Aga for Zeynep Asime Sultan, daughter of Sultan Ahmed III.

Sultan Mustafa III died at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul and his brother and another son of Ahmed III, Abdul Hamid I became his successor to the Ottoman imperial throne.

A great plague hit the city of Istanbul in this year and accounted for huge loss of life in the city.

Selim III, son of Mustafa III, replaced Abdul Hamid I as ruler of the Ottoman Empire after the latter’s death.

Sultan Selim III was compelled to give way his throne to his cousin Mustafa IV due to pressure from the Janissaries. He eventually lost his life to an attack by a group of assassins in 1808.

In one of the shortest reigns by a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa IV took over the reins of the empire from his cousin, Selim III, for a year before he was killed in 1808 by the orders of his successor, Mahmud II.

Under the reign of Mahmud II, the Greeks began their quest to gain independence from the Ottoman Empire with assistance from other European superpowers.

The Treaty of Constantinople was signed as the Greeks managed to achieve independence from the grasp of the Ottoman Turks.

Abdulmecid I took over as the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire following the death of his father Mahmud II. He is considered by historians as the ruler who kick-started the modernization of the city of Istanbul.

This was the year in which Sultan Abdulmecid I commissioned the construction of the Dolmabahce Palace which became the primary center of administration for the Ottoman Empire.

Valide Sultan Bezmialem, mother of Abdulmecid I, ordered the construction of the first Galata Bridge atop the Golden Horn. It was then known as the Cisr-i Cedid or New Bridge.

The construction of the Buyuk Mecidiye Camii, also known as the Ortakoy Mosque, was ordered by Sultan Adbulmecid I. The Turkish meaning of the name of this mosque is Grand Imperial Mosque of Sultan Abdulmecid.

The construction of both the Ortakoy Mosque and the Dolmabahce Palace were completed in the same year.

Sultan Abdulmecid I, one of the great rulers of the Ottoman Empire, died of tuberculosis and he was replaced by his brother Abdulaziz.

The Beylerbeyi Palace was commissioned by Sultan Abdulaziz and the construction of the palace began. It served as a summer residence and a place for the entertainment of visitors to the empire.

In the month of May, the ministers of Abdulaziz overthrew him from the throne and Murad V became the Sultan, albeit only for three months. During his reign, two Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire arranged for the assassination of Abdulaziz which was portrayed as a suicide. In the same year, Murad V was deposed from the Ottoman throne and Abdul Hamid II became his successor and the last Ottoman sultan to have complete autocratic over the state.

The Ottoman Empire got engaged in a war against Russian forces, which they eventually ended up losing.

Post the war against Russia, Sultan Abdul Hamid II got rid of the constitution and also dismissed the parliament after just one meeting.

The Young Turk Revolution, which marked the beginning of the end for the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, started in this year.

As a result of the Young Turk Revolution, Abdul Hamid II was deposed and his brother Mehmet V was made the Sultan. Other key achievements of the revolution were reinstatement of the Parliament and the constitution, both of which had been earlier scrapped by Abdul Hamid II.

The death of Mehmet V at the age of 73 resulted in his brother Mehmet VI taking over as the last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

The Turkish War of Independence began after the Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War I.

Mehmet VI was dethroned following the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate, thus bringing an end to the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey became an independent republic and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk became its first President. Ankara replaced Istanbul as the capital of the Turkish Republic.

Despite not being the capital city of Turkey, Istanbul will always remain the most important city in the country, especially due to the rich history that is attached to it.