He died on 25 October. Consequently, a plebiscite was held in Greece and the exiled Konstantinos I was reinstated as king on 19 December For a few months, it looked as though the Greeks were maybe going to win.
Then, on 23 August, the Greek and Turkish forces confronted in the Battle of Sakarya, which went on for twenty-one days. By the time the battle ended on 13 September, it had become a resounding Turkish victory that turned the tide of the war in favor of the Turks and basically crushed Greek hopes of conquering Asia Minor.
The Greek invaders were forced into retreat. Upon reassuming control, Turkish forces began to slaughter the Greek and Armenian inhabitants of the city and set fire to homes and businesses owned by Greek and Armenian civilians.
On 13 September, a great fire began to blaze out of control in the city. The inferno completely destroyed the Greek and Armenian quarters of the city and killed somewhere between 10, and , Greek and Armenian civilians. Somewhere between , and , additional Greek and Armenian civilians were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in the waterfront, where they were forced to remain for weeks under harsh conditions.
In the end, somewhere between , and , Greek and Armenian refugees were evacuated, while 30, able-bodied Greek and Armenian men were deported to work camps in the Anatolian interior, where many of them died as a result of the harsh conditions or were executed. Meanwhile, the Turkish nationalists celebrated their victory. On 1 November , the Grand National Assembly of Turkey declared that the Ottoman state was abolished and that a new era in Turkish history had begun.
Under this new treaty, Turkey retained control over all of Asia Minor, as well as control over Constantinople and Eastern Thrake. On 4 October , the last Allied forces left the city of Constantinople and, on 6 October, Turkish forces entered the city with a triumphal ceremony. Despite the Turks regaining Constantinople, they chose to keep their capital at Ankara for symbolic reasons, to show that the old Ottoman way of governing was over and that the new government would be doing things differently.
The new Kemalist government requested all foreign countries to stop using the name Constantinople and instead begin using the Turkish name İstanbul. From onwards, the Turkish post office began sending back all mail addressed to the city of İstanbul by any name other than İstanbul. Why did they do this? Well, there are probably two reasons.
One is because the Kemalists were nationalists and they evidently thought that the name İstanbul was more Turkish than the name Kostantiniyye— even though both names are actually of Greek etymology.
Using a supposedly more Turkish name also helped the Turks to counter Greek irredentist claims about İstanbul being a rightfully Greek city. The second reason is probably because, by this point, many Turks had come to inextricably associate the name Constantine with King Konstantinos I of Greece, who had led multiple invasions of Turkey and was widely reviled throughout the land.
This is more out of tradition and force of habit than out of irredentism. I'm Spencer McDaniel! I am currently a student at Indiana University Bloomington pursuing a double major in classical studies and history. I am obsessed with the ancient world and I write about it constantly. My main area of study is ancient Greece, but I also write about other areas of history as well.
View all posts by Spencer McDaniel. I read this with great interest. Anf your photos are very evocative. The only small thing I would find fault with is in your intro where your first sentence says discovering Ancient Rome in the heart of the Ottoman city. But as you make clear later into your blog it was the New Rome or Christanised Eastern Roman Empire, not the old pagan Rome of the West that you were looking for..
So interesting and sad. It compelled me to look for pics of this ancient civilization. Love your pics and descriptions! Thank you, Paul.
I absolutely loved finding traces of Constantinople in Istanbul. With a bit of imagination, you can almost see the old city in your mind. Thank you Margarita for sharing such a captivating and astoundingly beautiful place with such immense, rich history. I hope to visit one day. Your photos and stories have definitely inspired me to make the trek. Your photos and the information you provide are, like another reader said, very evocative. Well done and thank you!
Thank you Rosemary for your kind words. I am thrilled you find Constantinople as fascinating as I do :. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Before we delve into the journey of discovering the traces of Constantinople in Istanbul, here are some quick facts about Constantinople Where is Constantinople today?
When and Why was Constantinople renamed Istanbul? How long did Constantinople exist? How did Constantinople fall? In this post hide. The rise of Constantinople. Constantinople Today. Constantinople Churches 3.
Aya Sophia Hagia Sophia. Hagia Eirene. Church of SS Sergius and Bacchus. Chora Church. Hippodrome of Constantinople 4. Early morning at the Hippodrome. The Column of Constantine.
Aqueduct of Valens and Basilica Cistern 6. Valens Aqueduct. Basilica Cistern. The Walls of Constantinople 7. Land Wall of Constantinople.
Sea Wall of Constantinople. Galata Tower. More on Istanbul. Reconstruction of Constantinople. Image — Apuleius Books. Ruins of the once-great metropolis and trading center now serve as an important archeologic site and tourist attraction. Where Is Petra? Petra is located about miles south The long-term effects of the Balfour Declaration, and the British Following years of diplomatic friction and skirmishes between Israel and its neighbors, Israel Defense Forces launched preemptive air strikes that Live TV.
This Day In History. History Vault. Bosporus In B. Constantine I Constantine set about expanding the territory of old Byzantium, dividing it into 14 sections and constructing a new outer wall. Justinian I Justinian I, who reigned from to A. Hippodrome Constantinople endured for more than 1, years as the Byzantine capital in large part due to the protective wall completed under Theodosius II in Recommended for you. Herod and the Temple Mount. Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto on Afghanistan.
Syria Syria is home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world, with a rich artistic and cultural heritage. Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire was one of the mightiest and longest-lasting dynasties in world history. Palestine Palestine is a small region of land that has played a prominent role in the ancient and modern history of the Middle East.
Hagia Sophia The Hagia Sophia is an enormous architectural marvel in Istanbul, Turkey, that was originally built as a Christian basilica nearly 1, years ago. The city of Constantinople is an ancient city that exists today in modern Turkey as Istanbul. First settled in the seventh century B.
The city was rebuilt, and later in C. Strong walls and new buildings marked the start of the new capital of the Roman Empire, and afterwards Constantinople stood as the seat of the Byzantine Empire or the Eastern Roman Empire for the next 1, years, surviving the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
The city's location and imperial patronage saw its status rise to new heights, becoming known around the world by multiple names such as the Queen of Cities. Famous for its seemingly impregnable sets of walls and defenses, architecture, culture, and economic might, it would be governed by Roman law, observe Christianity and adopt Greek as its primary language, although it would serve as a melting pot of races and cultures due to its unique geographic location straddling Europe and Asia.
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