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

Turkish Airlines offers multiple daily nonstop flights to Bodrum, which take just over an hour from its Istanbul hub.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Göktaş was arrested and handcuffed at Istanbul airport in July when he returned from a holiday.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

Turkish media said the Ankara-born comedian began his career at TuzBiber in Istanbul and has gone on to perform at venues across Europe and the United States.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

The rush triggered a selloff in the Istanbul stock market this week, spreading pain to dozens of similar funds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

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

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood