?stanbul - geography.

?stanbul - geography. I INTRODUCTION Hagia Sophia in ? stanbul Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom) was commissioned by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I for his capital Constantinople (now ?stanbul, Turkey) and designed by the architects Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. Completed in ad 537, it represents the most influential example of early Byzantine architecture. After the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, Hagia Sophia was turned into an Islamic mosque. The four minarets were added to the building in the 16th century. Matthias Hofmann - geography. ?stanbul, formerly Constantinople, city in northwestern Turkey, the only city in the world that sits astride two continents--Europe and Asia. ?stanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the country's chief commercial and cultural center. With the finest natural harbor in the region, it is also an important trade hub. The city is the capital of ?stanbul Province, which is bounded on the north by the Black Sea, on the south and southwest by the Sea of Marmara, on the east by Kocaeli Province, and on the west by Tekirda? Province. The Bosporous, a narrow strait that links the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, separates ?stanbul's European and Asian sections. ?stanbul has a temperate climate, with warm summers and mild winters, making it a popular vacation spot. Precipitation varies from an average of 33 mm (1.3 in) in summer to an average of 107 mm (4.2 in) in winter. The city is prone to earthquakes, some of which have caused severe damage. ?stanbul was founded in the 7th century BC as Byzantium. In the 4th century AD it was renamed Constantinople by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. The city served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire until it was captured by the Ottomans in the 15th century and made the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans called the city ?stanbul for centuries, but it was not until 1930, seven years after Turkey gained independence, that ?stanbul became its official name. According to some sources, the name ?stanbul is derived from the Greek term stin poli, meaning "to the city" or "in the city." II THE CITY AND ITS METROPOLITAN AREA Hagia Sophia, ?stanbul Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom) was built in Constantinople (now ?stanbul) between 532 and 537 under the auspices of Emperor Justinian I. Innovative Byzantine technology allowed architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus to design a basilica with an immense dome over an open, square space, pictured. The original dome fell after an earthquake and was replaced in 563. The church became a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of 1453, and is now a museum. Roland and Sabrina Michaud/Woodfin Camp and Associates, Inc. ?stanbul is an expansive city, known for its natural and architectural beauty and its many religious and historical sites. The city proper covers an area of 1991 sq km (769 sq mi), while the metropolitan area occupies 5712 sq km (2204 sq mi). Important suburbs of ?stanbul include Bak? rköy, Zeytinburnu, and Kâ??thane in the European section, and Beykoz in the Asian section. The European section of ? stanbul is about twice the size of the Asian section and contains three-quarters of the city's population. European ?stanbul is separated into old and modern sections by the Golden Horn, a narrow channel of the Bosporous. The old section, known as Stambul, lies south of the Golden Horn, while the modern section, comprising the districts of Galata and Beyo? lu (formerly Pera), is located to the north. Stambul--the area within the walls (now largely in ruins) built by Roman emperor Theodosius II in the first half of the 5th century--contains most of the city's historical and architectur...