Istanbul

American  

[is-tahn-bool, -tan-, is-tahn-bool, -tan-, is-tahm-bool] / ˌɪs tɑnˈbul, -tæn-, ˈɪs tɑnˌbʊl, -tæn-, ɪsˈtɑm bʊl /

Also Stamboul.

noun

1. a port in northwestern Turkey, on both sides of the Bosporus: built by Constantine I on the site of ancient Byzantium; capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and of the Ottoman Empire; capital removed to Ankara 1923.

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Istanbul British  

/ ˌɪstænˈbuːl /

noun

1. Former name (330–1926): Constantinople.  Ancient name: Byzantium.  a port in NW Turkey, on the western (European) shore of the Bosporus: the largest city in Turkey; founded in about 660 _bc by Greeks; refounded by Constantine the Great in 330 _ad as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire; taken by the Turks in 1453 and remained capital of the Ottoman Empire until 1922; industrial centre for shipbuilding, textiles, etc. Pop: 9 760 000 (2005 est))

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Istanbul Cultural  

1. Largest city in Turkey, located in the northwestern part of the country on both sides of the Bosporus.

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Formerly called Byzantium, then Constantinople, the city was the capital consecutively of the eastern branch of the Roman Empire, of the Byzantine Empire, and of the Ottoman Empire.

It is the seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Example Sentences

The Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul proudly advertises its “Agatha Christie Room,” complete with a replica of the black Underwood typewriter Christie used.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

It was the summer of 2016, and my family and I were travelling back to the States from Bangladesh — an arduous 23-hour-long journey that was further extended by a 12+ hour layover in Istanbul.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

The museum contacted Ankara because the piece "had been donated by the wife of a US consul general who served in Istanbul in the 1940s", she said.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Portimao in Portugal, Imola in Italy and Istanbul in Turkey were all considered, as was the possibility of a second race in Japan.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Mima earns most of our money selling her lace to a wealthy storeowner from Istanbul who visits every month to buy it at a good price.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar