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

See Examples For:

Istanbul

Istanbul goalscorers Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers left last month, Rogers' £117m move to Chelsea a record for an English player.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

He played against Villa in their Istanbul final, but him not having much of a say was more about the team than his own doing.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

They’ve already booked a two-week guided tour of Scandinavia and a cruise from Venice to Istanbul for next year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Erkan Konyar, professor of ancient history at Istanbul University, describes the kingdom as "one of the most powerful states of the ancient Near East, between the 9th and 7th centuries BC."

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

“One for Istanbul and one for Constantinople,” she marveled.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood