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

The seasonal bloom extended into the Bosphorus, the narrow waterway that runs through Istanbul and links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

He'd been at this year's final in Istanbul with a group of close friends, many from his childhood who share his love for Aston Villa – Ben Dawes, Thomas van Straubenzee and Edward van Cutsem.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Holly Williams, a foreign correspondent working out of Istanbul for CBS News since 2012, and Mariana van Zeller, a journalist for National Geographic Channel, are both said to remain in contention.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Flanked by Russian soldiers, they boarded an overnight train to Istanbul, where a boat to Egypt awaited.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

After a fifteen-hour journey, which included a three-hour layover in Istanbul, we landed in Tunis.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad