Why was Constantinople an important city?

Answer 1

Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and the center of the Orthodox Christian Church. It also became the capital of the Ottoman Empire and is the home to many beautiful sites. It also serves as the bridge between the Middle East and Europe allowing it to be center of trade and cultural exchange.

Answer 2

Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and the center of the Orthodox Christian Church. It also became the capital of the Ottoman Empire and is the home to many beautiful sites. It also serves as the bridge between the Middle East and Europe allowing it to be center of trade and cultural exchange.

Answer 3

The city of Istanbul is important because it has a long history that spans the rise and fall of the worlds most famous empires. (Roman, Latin and Ottoman)

People wanted to settle or conquer Istanbul, because it stood on the Bosporus Strait, strategically located for trade and defence purposes on crossroads between East and West.

Answer 4

It is an important trade center due to its location. Ever since the days of human expansion from Southwest Asia to Europe, people needed a way to cross the Bosporus strait that separates Anatolia (Asia) from the Balkan Peninsula (Europe). The Bosporus is also the only water passage between the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Who ever controlled this location controlled (and profited from) both land and water transportation in the area. Silk Road trade brought east and west together at Constantinople, and the Crusades exposed otherwise European-minded soldiers to the world beyond their own continent, further increasing the city's importance.

Renaissance innovations made ocean travel possible, allowing western European countries to navigate around Africa on their way to Asia, bypassing the "choke point" at Constantinople and reducing it's importance as THE global center of trade. However it still remains a cultural and economic crossroads between East and West.
Because it gave the Ottomans access to other trade routes.

Answer 5

One reason Constantinople was important was because of its location. It was the center of trade for centuries. It was also important because it was the last remaining part of the Byzantine Empire.

Answer 6

Constantinople is an incredibly strategic position, defending the Bosporus, which is the land-entry into Europe. Additionally, the district of Sultanahmet, the oldest part of Constantinople, is surrounded by water on three sides and is only accessible by land from one side. This makes actively besieging the city quite difficult, ensuring its survival as a garrison.

Answer 7

Constantinople was considered strategically important because it was the gateway to the West. It served as the capital city of several empires including the Ottoman Empire.