What is the Old Name of Istanbul and Its Meanings?

When we look from the present to the past and examine the cities that people care about, we definitely come across Istanbul in every period of history. Because, as we all know, this city is beautiful on the bottom and on the top. Of course, due to this importance, it has been occupied countless times, found in many cultures and more importantly, it has been called by different names by every nation in every period.

After the conquest of the Ottoman army under the command of Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1453, this city came under the rule of the Turks, became the capital of the empire until the day it was destroyed, and became known as Istanbul by the whole world. Alright Istanbul was the old name, or rather, what were their names? Let’s take a closer look at the answer to this question, which is frequently encountered even in puzzles, and see what other nations and the Ottoman Empire would say to Istanbul.

What is the old name of Istanbul? Here are the names of Istanbul used throughout history:

• Byzantium
• Augusta Antonina
• Nova Rome
• Constantinople
• Constantinople
• islamball
• Miklagard
• Istanbul

Byzantium:

According to the ancient Roman historian Plinius, it was given to Istanbul. oldest known name is Ligos however, since there is no other source on this subject, many experts agree that the name Bizantion should be the first.

They are thought to be of Doric origin, a nomadic nation of Indo-European origin in Megara, an Ancient Greek city, in 667 BC. The Greeks came to Istanbul and established a colony here. They named it Byzantion to honor their king, Byzas. After the city was occupied by the Romans in the 1st century AD, this name was Latinized as Byzantium.

Augusta Antonina:

With the occupation of Istanbul by the Romans in the 1st century AD, this place became a Roman city. 3rd century AD A son named Antonius was born to Septimius Severus, the Roman Emperor of the time. The emperor, who wanted to honor this son, who would later take the throne as Caracalla, declared the name of the city as Augusta Antonina, albeit for a short time.

Nova Rome:

Starting from the 3rd century AD, the city of Istanbul became even more important. such that In 330, the Roman Emperor Constantine I declared this city the capital. As we have already explained in our article here, Constantine I, one of the original founders of the city, announced the name of the capital as Nova Roma. However, this name was not liked by many except the emperor.

Constantinople:

Let’s come to one of the most widely known old names of the city of Istanbul. Upon the death of the Roman Emperor Constantine I, one of the founders of the city, in 337. To honor him, it was named Constantinople, meaning city of Constantine. This name was used until the Byzantine Empire collapsed. However, this name, which is very difficult to say, was not used much among the people and was briefly referred to as the Police.

A small detail. In 1453, the city was conquered by the army under the command of Fatih Sultan Mehmet. After the Turks Westerners began to use the name Constantinople widely. The Westerners’ acceptance of the name Istanbul was only possible with the establishment of the Turkish Republic.

Constantinople:

If you are wondering what the Ottomans would say to Istanbul, the answer is Kostantiniyye. Actually, Constantinople Arabic equivalent of Constantinople and it means the place of Constantine. After the conquest, Istanbul was called Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire and other states where Arabic was widely used.

In the official state records of the Ottoman Empire and In works such as Evliya Çelebi’s Travel Book We come across the name of Constantinople. However, there were also different names that the Ottomans used for Istanbul. Some of the names of Istanbul in the Ottoman Empire are as follows;

• Dersaadet, which means the door of happiness
• Derâliye, which means the great door
• Bâb-ı Âli, meaning the supreme door
• Payitaht means capital
• Asitane, meaning threshold of the state.

Islamball:

Islambol is also one of the names used for the city of Istanbul, but it is not as widely used as we think. In Evliya Çelebi’s Seyahatname The name Islambol was used much more than the name Kostantiniyye. This name, which was created by adding the suffix to the word Islam, is not an etymologically correct usage.

Miklagard:

Istanbul was a popular city not only in its region but also all over the world. So much so that even the barbarian Vikings tried to occupy this place for a while, and Vikings named this city Miklagård. This name is formed by combining the words mikla or mykil meaning big and gård meaning castle or wall.

Istanbul:

We have said that many different names were given to this city during the Ottoman period, one of which is the name we use today, Istanbul. It is thought that the name Istanbul is formed by the Turkishization of the phrase eis tin polyn, which means in the Greek city, inside the city, inside the city. In some Armenian sources dated to the 2nd century AD It has been seen that names such as Istanbol and Istinbol are also used.

The first work we encounter with the name of Istanbul is the epic called Dânişmendnâme, which is estimated to have been written in 1360. In the work called Gazavât-ı Sultan Murad, The name Istanbul is used. It is known that the name Istanbul is used among the people. At the same time, it is seen that titles such as Istanbul Agha are used for the army commander in some state institutions.

Westerners and non-Muslims living within the borders of the empire used the name Constantinople. Even When Istanbul was occupied in 1918 Greek minorities invaders “Here is Constantine (Istanbul), here is Constantine!” They met with chants. After this point, this name ceased to be an innocent name.

After our lands were cleared of invaders and the Republic of Turkey was established, the Latin alphabet was adopted in 1928. With this republican revolution, the name Istanbul became official. and the use of the name Constantinople was banned. Thanks to the strong stance of the Republic of Turkey and the use of the Latin alphabet, the name Istanbul was accepted by the whole world.

Bonus: Istanbul also had regional names

Although Istanbul has become a big city by expanding the provincial borders today, the place known as Istanbul throughout history was actually a very small area. Because During the Roman Empire The part of the city on the European side was called Tracia, i.e. Thrace, and the part on the Anatolian side was called Bithynia, or Bithynia.

One more bonus: “This is nobody’s business except the Turks”

Thanks to the Republic of Turkey, his name is accepted by the whole world. What is the old name of Istanbul By answering the question, we talked about the different names given to this beautiful city throughout history and their meanings. You can share your thoughts on the subject in the comments.