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.

---

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))

---

Istanbul Cultural  

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

---

Discover More

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 materializes as a still, dreamlike place in this distinctly modern thriller.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The remaining 29 detainees were to appear before an Istanbul court on Wednesday, AIH said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

In a press release after the Istanbul panel, the IBA hinted there was more to come.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

It was only a second victory since that historic night in Istanbul when McGinn lifted the Europa League in May.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

"Was that the summer we spent in Beirut or, no, I'm thinking of the time we sailed from Cyprus and took the Orient Express to Istanbul."

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris