Istanbul’s Discovery
Istanbul, which was then known as Byzantium, was discovered in the 7th century BC.
During the 4th century ad, Constantine the Great renamed it as Constantinople in honor of the Roman Empire.
Istanbul became the capital of the Byzantine Empire until the Ottoman Empire took over it in the 15th century. The Ottomans gave it the name Istanbul and it has been its name for centuries. However, the name has only been official when Turkey gained its independence in 1930.
The name Istanbul was taken from the Greek term stin poli which means to the city or in the city.