Turkey and the Byzantine Empire
It is a civilization that can be dated to 330 AD when Constantine I transferred the capital of the empire to Byzantium, which was later called Istanbul, which is currently the capital of Turkey.
Byzantium
Byzantium was originally considered a Greek colony at the entrance to the Black Sea, on which a typical Roman city was built, as the most important archaeological remains found in Byzantium date back to the late Roman period, when it was renamed after Dhulm (Constantinople) to become the capital of the Ottoman Empire of Constantine.
The city walls are the ones that give it a greater area than that of Rome itself, which was built by Theodosius II in (408 - 450 AD), as it enjoyed an ancient heritage that gave it the right to be one of the best ancient fortresses remaining anywhere, as there were a number of churches. The fourth-century includes Constantine the Apostolic Church, the Irene Church, and the Great Church, which later became Hagia- Sophia, as was rebuilt by Justinian in the sixth century.
Hagia- Sophia Mosque
Huh, as the Turks call it, the Hagia- Sophia Mosque, which has been for a very long period, was not opened, and it is originally the great church that was in Constantinople, which is originally Byzantium, and which is now called (Istanbul) Assassin Turkey, and we all witnessed the great celebrations that the President of Turkey Erdogan made to open this mosque Which is originally the great church and is the Hagia- Sophia Mosque.
Features of the Byzantine civilization
And the Byzantine Empire fell when the Turks occupied the city in 1453 AD, meaning after the rise of the Byzantine civilization about 1123 years ago, as there was a great influence technically in Istanbul that remained in Greece, the Balkans, and Russia for a long time and this influence continued until before the middle of the fifth century where it was There are great similarities between Byzantine and Roman civilization.
Under the rule of King Justinian I (527-565), the Byzantine civilization flourished and became distinct from other Roman civilizations due to the eastern and western traditions, as the tiles showed the brilliance and complexity of Aselia and the subtle and distinct rituals, as the Byzantine influence spread outside the scope of its center in Asia Minor, Greece, and the Balkans until it reached Western Europe and Asia.
The basis of the Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire is basically a Christian state that preserved its religion for a great time despite the Islamic conquests in Palestine, Syria and North Africa in the sixth and seventh centuries AD, where it preserved the Roman, cultural and Greek law and literature, as it preserved many manuscripts that led to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD to The arrival of many of these manuscripts to the West, which gave great influences in the revival of classical knowledge associated with the Renaissance.
In the Middle Ages, Constantinople was the link between the East and the West, as it produced entertainment goods and influenced its culture on art styles and across long distances reaching England and Scandinavia, and was known in northern Europe as the great city "Michael card".
Byzantine architecture
There was nothing left of the houses, especially from the Byzantine period, although it has been indicated that some of the buildings that are used as storerooms on the banks of the Golden Horn in Constantinople are late Byzantine buildings and the only civil structure remaining on the surface of the earth in Constantinople is the characteristic of Justinian who returns To the eighth century AD.
This does not preclude that there are some remaining palaces built and erected for the Paliolon emperors, known now (Takfour Saray) and (The Great Palace), which may have been partially excavated and discovered that it precedes the palace (Takfour Saray) at the time of construction and has fallen into disrepair since it cannot be restored. By the twelfth century.
Byzantium is considered an impregnable fortress that is difficult to penetrate and was occupied in the Middle Ages by the Latins only once in the year 1204 AD, where the defenses at this time were insufficient if compared to the defenses in the Islamic world despite the walls built by Theodosius II in the fifth century AD It replaces the former walls of Constantine still standing today with many late restorations. The golden gate dating back to the 5th century AD was constructed in the shape and style of a triumphal entrance like the Roman triumphal arches to serve as a defensive act.