Jennifer has taught elementary levels K-3 and has master's degrees in elementary education and curriculum/instruction and educational leadership.
If you wanted to take a look around Constantinople, you'd first need to travel to Istanbul, Turkey -- and then climb into a time machine and go back a few thousand years. When you arrived in the past, you would find yourself in the Byzantine Empire. This was the land and government that was at the eastern part of a very large kingdom called the Roman Empire. The Byzantine empire had many great leaders, but one of the most important was a king named Constantine the Great.
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When Constantine the Great came to power, he thought carefully about where the capital city should be located. Would the old city of Nicomedia be a good location? What about the area known as Troy, an ancient city? He decided on an area that was once the city of Byzantium. This new capital would eventually be named after him, called Constantinople.
Why was this a good choice? There were several reasons. This city was located on the Bosporus Strait. This was a narrow waterway that connected the Mediterranean and Black Seas. In this location, Constantine's people could have access to Europe in the east and Asia in the west. It was also in an area that could be well protected, which was important because at the time kingdoms were often attacked by invaders.
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So what would you see if you were a resident of Constantinople during the Byzantine empire? Quite a bit! Since the city was near large bodies of water, you would probably notice a lot of activity in and around the harbors. You might also notice that the city had a system of collecting and storing water, something that was necessary during periods of time with little rain.
The new city was four times the size of old Byzantium, and since it was so large it was divided into smaller areas or districts. There was a complex system of roads, and Constantine had many of these streets lined with statues of former great leaders. There was a large royal palace, and another building was created to serve different purposes for the community. This structure was sometimes used as a market, and other times served as a court.
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After Constantine's rule was over, a new emperor named Justinian made even more improvements to the thriving capital. One of the most significant accomplishments of Justinian was the creation of a church called the Hagia Sophia. Justinian wanted a structure that was more elaborate than any built before, so he hired architects to design the church. It took about six years to build, but once it was done it was amazing! Today, the remaining parts of the Hagia Sophia are now a museum where tourists can visit.
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Several other rulers made changes to the capital city under their reigns, including Leo III, who was not a fan of the statues and art work that had been in Constantinople. He removed everything, and over the years the city began to decline. Eventually it was weakened enough that invaders called the Ottoman Turks conquered the city in 1453. What was once Constantinople is known today as Istanbul, Turkey.
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The Byzantine empire was the eastern part of the Roman Empire, and one of its leaders was Constantine the Great. He decided that the capital of the empire would be called Constantinople, and this became a thriving city full of activity and architecture like the famous church Hagia Sophia. The city was the center of the empire for hundreds of years, but was conquered by invaders in the mid-1400s.
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