Istanbul

$15.00 CAD

For more than two millennia Istanbul has stood at the crossroads of the world, perched at the very tip of Europe, gazing across the shores of Asia. The history of this city–known as Byzantium, then Constantinople, now Istanbul–is at once glorious, outsized and astounding. Founded by the Greeks, its location blessed it as a center for trade but also made it a target of every empire in history, from Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Empire to the Romans and later the Ottomans. At its most spectacular Emperor Constantine I re-founded the city as New Rome, the capital of the eastern Roman empire and dramatically expanded the city, filling it with artistic treasures and adorning the streets with opulent palaces. Around it all Constantine built new walls, truly impregnable, that preserved power, wealth and withstood any aggressor–walls that still stand for tourists to visit.
From its ancient past to the present, we meet the city through its ordinary citizens–the Jews, Muslims, Italians, Greeks and Russians who used the famous baths and walked the bazaars–and the rulers who built it up and then destroyed it, including Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the man who christened the city “Istanbul” in 1930. Thomas Madden’s entertaining narrative brings to life the city we see today, including the rich splendour of the churches and monasteries that spread throughout the city.
Istanbul draws on a lifetime of study and the latest scholarship, transporting readers to a city of unparalleled importance and majesty that holds the key to understanding modern civilization.

In stock

SKU: 274976 Category:

Book Information

ISBN 0143129694
ISBN13 9780143129691
Number of pages 381
Original Title Istanbul
Published Date 2017
Book Condition Very good
Jacket Condition No Dustjacket
Binding Paperback
Size 8vo
Place of Publication New York
Edition Second
Category:
Author:
Publisher:

Description

pp. 381, “For more than two millennia Istanbul has stood at the crossroads of the world, perched at the very tip of Europe, gazing across the shores of Asia. The history of this city–known as Byzantium, then Constantinople, now Istanbul–is at once glorious, outsized and astounding. Founded by the Greeks, its location blessed it as a center for trade but also made it a target of every empire in history, from Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Empire to the Romans and later the Ottomans. At its most spectacular Emperor Constantine I re-founded the city as New Rome, the capital of the eastern Roman empire and dramatically expanded the city, filling it with artistic treasures and adorning the streets with opulent palaces. Around it all Constantine built new walls, truly impregnable, that preserved power, wealth and withstood any aggressor–walls that still stand for tourists to visit.
From its ancient past to the present, we meet the city through its ordinary citizens–the Jews, Muslims, Italians, Greeks and Russians who used the famous baths and walked the bazaars–and the rulers who built it up and then destroyed it, including Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the man who christened the city “Istanbul” in 1930. Thomas Madden’s entertaining narrative brings to life the city we see today, including the rich splendour of the churches and monasteries that spread throughout the city.
Istanbul draws on a lifetime of study and the latest scholarship, transporting readers to a city of unparalleled importance and majesty that holds the key to understanding modern civilization.”

Additional information

Weight 1 kg