Why Is Constantinople Important To History?

In 330 A.D., Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire or “New Rome.” For 1,100 years, Constantinople remained the capital of one of the world’s largest empires, the Byzantine Empire. Constantinople’s location is in modern day Istanbul, Turkey. So why is Constantinople important to history? Constantinople became the cultural center of the east. It preserved Greek classics and promoted Christian principles. Christianity emerged and became a dominate religion.

Art The Byzantine style of art mainly characterized expression of religion. One form of art for the Byzantine Empire was the use of mosaics. Mosaics decorated the walls and domes of churches. They reflected representations of Christian Saints that were highly embellished figures. To signify the importance of their divinity, embellished figures often displayed halos. Depictions of the Holy Roman Emperor or Empress in a mosaic represented unification
Due to its geographical position, the Byzantine Empire was impenetrable to outside forces until 1453 AD when the Ottomans conquered it. Positioned on a rocky elevated peninsula, the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus Strait with its strong currents, and the Golden Horn, aided in the protection of the empire. In times of war, a boom blockaded the Golden Horn from entry. On the land front, constructed outer walls covered the length of the peninsula, followed by a second set of inner walls that connected to sea walls. Invented in 672 AD, Greek fire aided in naval warfare. Greek Fire consisted of secret ingredients that could not be extinguished by anything. Greek Fire was placed in glass containers that were then propelled with a pump. Invading Muslim fleets were the first opposition to fall victim to this new defense tool. Due to its effectiveness, Greek Fire was a defense tool used for hundreds of years to protect the