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

Kelly Bailey described feeling "like a criminal" after being held for eight hours without her luggage, food or water, in Istanbul and escorted on a return plane to Manchester.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Neighboring Turkey, with its large Iranian community and major global airport in Istanbul, is a key transit point.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 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

As we cross through the last alleyways and approach the port, we hear the distant blasts of fireworks coming from Istanbul.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar