Museum, Janissaries’ (p. [550]), all day, 3 pias.—Military Museum, in the Church of Irene (p. [548]), Sun., Tues., & Thurs. 10–4.—New Museum (p. [546]), daily except Frid., 9–5, in winter 10–3, adm. 5 pias.; tickets available for the Chinili Kiosque also.
Seraglio Palace (p. [548]). The consulates, to which application should be made a few days beforehand, arrange for visits to the Treasury and part of the old Seraglio on Sun & Tues. (small fee).
Türbeh, see under Mosques.
Two Days (when time is limited). 1st. Forenoon, *Galata Tower (p. [543]), Yeni Valideh Jami (p. [545]), *New Museum (p. [546]), Chinili Kiosque (p. [547]); afternoon, trip on the *Bosporus (p. [557]), or to Scutari (p. [556]); summer evening in the Gardens of the Petits Champs (p. [544]) or the Taxim Park (p. [544]).—2nd. Forenoon, *Aya Sophia (p. [548]), At Meïdán (p. [549]), *Great Bazaar (p. [551]), *Suleiman Mosque (p. [552]); afternoon, Land-Wall (p. [553]); Eyúb (pp. [555], 556); Serasker Tower (p. [551]).—Visitors should be on their guard against pickpockets, especially in Galata and Pera.
Constantinople, Turk. Stambul or Stamboul, Ital. Costantinopoli, Slav. Tsarigrad (emperor’s town), capital of the Turkish empire and residence of the Sultan (since 1909 Mohammed V., b. 1844; successor of Abdul Hamid, p. [544]), is the seat of the government (the ‘Sublime Porte’), and also of the Sheikh ul-Islam, of the patriarchs of the Greek and Armenian churches, and of a papal legate. It lies on the Sea of Marmora, at the mouth of the Bosporus, in 41° N. lat. and 28° 58′ E. longitude.
The City consists of several distinct quarters. Stambul, in the narrower sense, forms a nearly equilateral triangle between the Golden Horn (p. [555]) and the Sea of Marmora; to the N.E., on the slopes of the opposite bank of the Golden Horn and on the adjacent shore of the Bosporus, lie the Frank quarters of Galata and Pera and their suburbs; and to the E., on the gently sloping Asiatic shore of the Bosporus, lies the Turkish town of Scutari with its suburbs. According to recent estimates Constantinople contains 1,125,000 inhab. (or, without the Asiatic quarters, 943,000), incl. about 500,000 Turks, more than 200,000 Greeks, 180,000 Armenians, 65,000 Jews, mostly Spanish (see p. [542]), and 70,000 Europeans. The foreign residents are said to number 130,000.
The Situation of Constantinople has justly won the admiration of all ages. The vast city of Stambul curving over the slopes between the Sea of Marmora and the Golden Horn, the suburbs on the Bosporus, its green banks studded with villages, palaces, and mosques, the Golden Horn with its busy bridges and its countless vessels, all combine to form a picture of matchless beauty.
The Climate of Constantinople, which lies in the same latitude as Naples (p. [137]), is unsettled and comparatively cool. During the greater part of the year the city is exposed to N.E. winds from the Siberian steppes, which sweep through the Bosporus and in winter occasionally bring snow. The best season for a visit is autumn (end of Sept. to beginning of Nov.). The summer, however, is usually fine and not unbearably hot, the coolest places being those on the Bosporus, a little to the N., which are sheltered from the due S. winds (as Therapia, Büyükdereh, etc.). The mean temperature of the year is 57½° Fahr., that of the hottest month (Aug.) 74°, and that of the coldest (Feb.) 41°. The rainfall averages 28¾ in.
History. Attracted by the striking advantages of the site, at the junction of two great portions of the globe and on the great water highway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the Dorians founded the colony of Byzantium, about 660 B.C., on the promontory (Seraglio Point, p. [536]) commanding the entrance to the Bosporus. This colony, however, like the towns on the coast of Asia Minor, was unable to withstand the attacks of the Persians; when Darius I. crossed the Bosporus in his campaign against the Scythians the Byzantines were compelled to supply him with ships; and their town was afterwards destroyed by the Persians for taking part in the Ionian revolt. The long but somewhat weak alliance of Byzantium with Athens was succeeded by closer bonds when the town was threatened by Philip of Macedonia. Being hard pressed by Phokion Philip was compelled to raise the siege of the town (340–339). Under Alexander the Great and his successors Byzantium maintained its autonomy, but in 278 it suffered seriously from an attack by the Gauls (‘Galatians’) settled in Thrace.
In the wars against Philip III. of Macedonia Byzantium became the natural ally of Rome, and this alliance continued to subsist under the earlier Roman emperors. In 193–6 Septimius Severus besieged the town to punish it for siding with the rival emperor Pescennius Niger, and deprived it of its liberties and privileges; but he afterwards rebuilt the walls, regarding it as an important bulwark of the empire. In 269 Emp. Claudius II. here repelled the attacks of the Goths when they attempted to force their way south from the Danube.