Founded about 660 B.C. by Dorian's, captured in 513 B.C. by the Persian king Darius, in 148B.C. the free city of Byzantium entered into an alliance with Rome, and there after it several times lost and then regained its freedom. On 330 the city was named New Rome, after the division of the Roman Empire in 395 Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Afterwards the Empire was torn by domestic and external conflicts. The city was besieged by Avars and Persians (627), and by the Arabs, by Bulgars (813 and 924), by Russians (907 and 1048). After the Ottoman conquest of Asia Minor in the 12th c. they transferred the capital to Bursa, later to Edirne. Mehmet II Fatih (the Conquerer) took the city (1453), which now became the capital under the name of Istanbul.
There was a great wave of building by the Sultan, particularly by Selim (1512-20) and Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-66). Many major buildings were also built in the 17th and 18th c. following the first world war Istanbul was occupied by Alliance, till the independence war 1922. Picture shows the Fortress of Fatih in the winter, sunny picture shows the water front houses from the Empire Period.
