Istanbul that so Special During the 16th and 17th Centuries Before it Failed in the 20th Century - Essay Example

Why was Istanbul so special during the 16th and 17th century before it failed as a global in the beginning of the 20th century? Abstract For the greater part of human history, cities have been the political, social, cultural, and economic centers. Material and human resources of civilizations have for a long time been concentrated in the cities. This situation has been attributed to a number of factors, key among them high numbers of skilled workforce, clients, learning institutions, and community of artists in the cities (Sassen 20). The other factors are the geographical location of cities, infrastructural developments in the city, and presence of diverse cultures. Istanbul is one of the cities that have an important place in human history in the world. It is among the 25 largest cities in the world and is the largest in Turkey. It has one of the longest histories, which span the rise and fall of the most famous empires in the world- key among them, the Ottoman Empire (Murphey 17). In order to have a good understanding of Istanbul and its role in human history, this essay will discuss why Istanbul was so special during the 16th and 17th century before it failed as a global city in the beginning of the 20th century. Introduction Istanbulextralarge.com records that Istanbul is one of the world’s greatest cities found in Turkey. It has a splendid historic heritage and is famous for centuries of culture and history. The city was the crown city of the Ottoman, Roman and Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empires, which left their marks throughout the city giving it different names and a distinctive character. There is a consensus among majority of historians that Istanbul played an important role in human history and had immense potential to be world’s cultural center. Michael McAdams points out that the major catalyst in the culture globalization is fast and highly sophisticated communication network. He singles out Los Angeles and New York as examples of cities that have been dominant in culture development (McAdams 153). However, he notes that while Istanbul is currently one of the most populated cities in the world, presently it cannot be classified as global cultural center of primary or secondary status. Nonetheless, Istanbul has had major developments that are conditions for its re-emergence as a major center of culture. The location of Istanbul was a crucible for cultural and creativity development. Its centrality was the main reason that the Ottoman, Byzantine, and Roman Empire settled on this location to be their capital (McAdams 157). The development of Istanbul as a cultural center was hampered by a three main factors: the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in the first quarter of 20th century; transfer of the Turkish capital to Ankara; and marginalization of Istanbul during the Cold War. That notwithstanding though, Istanbul’s recent developments have the potential of helping it re-emerge as a significant center of culture (McAdams 160). This re-emergence can be aided by the following factors: strategic location (at key crossroads bordering Central Asian republics, Russia, Ukraine, the Balkans, and Middle East), extensive geographical size; large and culturally diverse population; and conscious effort to promote cultural economy development (McAdams 165). The location of Istanbul is very special in a number of ways. This was the main reason why the Ottoman, Byzantine, and Roman Empire settled on Istanbul to be their capital. It lies partly in Asia and partly in Europe on the traditional land between Asia and Europe Minor (Freely 45). The city commands the sea route that connects the Mediterranean and Black Sea. This strategic feature has made the city to be of great military and commercial significance for many centuries. Its weather is highly variable, with warm to hot summers and cold winters. Due to its vast geographical size of about 98 square miles or 254 square kilometers, Istanbul is the most populous city in Europe (Sassen 21). A number of features make Istanbul to be so special. Its geographic location is one of the most notable features – it being the only city that is located in two continents (Murphey 65). The other feature is the rule of three empires, all of whom settled on the city as their capital. Istanbul was initially known as Constantinople and it was the capital of the Roman Empire. After emperor Theodosius death in 395, there was an enormous upheaval that occurred in the city and the Roman Empire was divided permanently (Freely 79). This division saw Constantinople becoming the Byzantine Empire capital in the 400s. Since the city was at the center of two continents, it became a centre of diplomacy, culture, commerce, and it grew rapidly. The anti-government Nika Revolt that broke out in 532 and involved the city’s population led to the destruction of the city. However, after the revolt ended, the city was rebuilt and many outstanding monuments constructed (Pamuk and Maureen 93). Istanbul’s prosperity in the subsequent decades made it the target for conquering. The persistent campaign between the Greek Orthodox Byzantine Empire and the Catholic Latin Empire caught Constantinople in the middle and this marked the start of its fall (Pamuk and Maureen 102). The city’s population declined, its economic activities reduced, and it became more vulnerable to attacks as its defense posts across the city crumbled. This culminated into the conquest of the city in 1453 by the Ottomans who changed its name to Istanbul. Another example in history that made Istanbul so special is that even after its fall, many empires in subsequent years until 20th century still scrambled to occupy it because of its significance (Freely 81). The city of Istanbul has remarkable cultural legacy and superiority. Very few cities in the world can match its cultural legacy and superiority. Apart from other cultural aspects that make it have a rich cultural legacy, religion was the focal point in the city’s culture. As has been noted, the Catholics and Greek Orthodox were competing to control the city. The conquest of the city by the Ottomans who were led by Sultan Mehmed II in 1453 further made religion to be a focal point in the city as Islam became the dominant religion in the city. Suleiman the Magnificent controlled the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566 and greatly influenced many architectural and artistic achievements that made Istanbul a major commercial, political, and culture center. This saw the city’s population grow to about 1 million people. This population was heterogeneous and included people from many cultures as well as the territories in both continents (Pamuk and Maureen 110). Conclusion The Ottoman Empire controlled Istanbul until the allies defeated and occupied it in the First World War. The decline of Istanbul was temporary as the city recovered quickly and re-emerged as one of the major economic, political, cultural, and social centers (Freely 123). This can be attributed mainly to its strategic location and favorable climatic conditions, as well as outstanding history that resulted to its population to increase rapidly. As a result, the city expanded considerably to become one of the world’s major metropolises. Today, Istanbul is among the 25 largest cities in the world and the largest in Turkey. Due to its many historical areas, it was added to the UNESCO world Heritage list in 1985 (Sassen 108). Works Cited Freely, John. Istanbul: The Imperial City. Westminster, London: Penguin Books, 1998. Print. Istanbulextralarge.com. Overview of the most requested Istanbul facts. 2009. Web. . McAdams, Michael. Global Cities as Centers of Cultural Influence: A Focus on Istanbul, Turkey. 2007. Web. 15 Aug, 2012. Murphey, Rhoads. Studies on Ottoman Society and Culture, 16th-18th Centuries. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2007. Print. Pamuk, Orhan, and Maureen Freely. Istanbul: Memories and the City. New York: Vintage International, 2006. Print. Sassen, Saskia. The Global City. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2001. Print. Read More