Constantinople
Constantinople of the Ottoman Empire Constantinople was named after its founder: The Roman Emperor Constantine, and was also called “the Second Rome” (Haberman, 5). Up until 1453, Constantinople was in control of the Byzantine Empire which was founded shortly after Constantine founded the city. Constantinople is a city that was placed on the Bosporus, which divides Europe and Asia, and grants entry into the Black Sea from the Mediterranean (Haberman, 5). This allowed Constantinople to flourish into a city rich in culture, and trade. In 1453, the Ottoman Dynasty took control over Constantinople and overthrew the Byzantine Empire. In 1453, Mehmet II, known as Faith, the Conqueror, declared that Constantinople be called Istanbul, meaning “into the city” in Turkish. During the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople was a Christian city, but after the Ottoman Empire took over, Constantinople became mostly Muslim. Since then, Constantinople’s churches were converted into mosques by the Muslims and the Ottoman Empire welcomed all religions to come and live with them (Haberman, 6). Economics and Multiculturalism showed that Constantinople was the most advanced region of the world by the 1500s. The economy played a large role in making Constantinople the most advanced region in the world during the 1500s. Constantinople was the center of trade between the East and the West. Silk, tea, spices and porcelain were brought in from the East and mirrors and drugs from the West. There were many regulation and restrictions placed on the trades that were imposed by the Ottoman Empire. There was tax on almost all trades and licenses were needed for merchants, sailors, and others in the trade business. Furthermore, since Constantinople was situated on the Bosporus, almost every man was engaged in some type of trade. Constantinople also had a steady export of leather, skins, and wool, however materials like wood for shipbuilding was restricted so the military were able to build ships
Cited: List "The Economy in the Ottoman Empire." The Economy in the Ottoman Empire. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. Haberman. The World in 1500s: Six Cities. The West and the World: Contacts, Conflicts, Connections. Toronto: Gage Learning, 2002. Print.