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

His Cannes festival shots are on display until October 11 at the museum in Istanbul, opened in 2018, two months before his death on his 90th birthday.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

Germany's Freiburg await in Istanbul on 20 May but few would bet against Emery adding a fifth Europa League trophy to his collection.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

On Friday, a large deployment of police, many in riot gear, and metal barricades were seen choking access to central neighbourhoods of Istanbul.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

A large number of people who wanted to gather in the Mecidiyekoy district of Istanbul were surrounded by police.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Paris checked the arrivals monitor and answered, “Four: Bangkok, Amsterdam, Istanbul, and New York.”

From "City Spies" by James Ponti