March 28: Constantinople Becomes Istanbul (1930)
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Türkiye.
History Note
The Greeks founded a colony called Byzantium in the 7th century BC. It was located beside the Sea of Marmara, which is between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. The Roman Emperor Constantine made Byzantium the capital of the Roman Empire in 330 AD and renamed it Constantinople.
As the western part of the Roman Empire collapsed, Constantinople remained the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (later known as the Byzantine Empire). In 1453 the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople, which became the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman Empire collapsed after World War I, and the modern country of Türkiye (Turkey) emerged. Türkiye moved its capital to the more central city of Ankara, but Constantinople has remained the largest city.
The new government of Türkiye wanted to distance itself from its Ottoman past. Many smaller communities had already received new Turkish names. On March 28, 1930, Türkiye announced that the new official name of Constantinople would be Istanbul. The name “Istanbul” actually comes from the Greek phrase “to the city,” referring to the original walled city of Constantinople.
Modern Istanbul. Photo by Ufuk Eral Photography / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
This is a novelty song about Istanbul’s name change. Jimmy Kennedy wrote the lyrics and Nat Simon wrote the music. It was published in 1953. The Four Lads, a Canadian musical group, made the first record of the song. This version is by Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald.
Learn more about Istanbul and Türkiye at Homeschool History.
