Istanbul has had three names, dozens of rulers and 2,700 years of history. In 1453, a 21-year-old sultan even dragged his warships over a hill to take it. This is the entire story of Byzantium, Constantinople and Istanbul in 11 minutes.

In this video:
Why an oracle told the Greeks to build "opposite the land of the blind"
How Constantine turned a small Greek town into New Rome
The chariot-racing riot that almost ended Emperor Justinian
Greek fire, and the walls no army broke by land for 1,000 years
The Crusaders who looted the richest Christian city on Earth
How Mehmed II took Constantinople in 1453
Why the name Constantinople finally died at the post office

0:00 The ships that sailed over land
1:10 The city of the blind
2:37 New Rome
3:41 Fire and gold
4:39 The walls
5:45 The betrayal
6:29 The 21-year-old sultan
8:21 Caesar of Rome
9:13 The crown falls
10:01 The letter that came back

Which city should we cover next? Tell us in the comments.
Subscribe to Egghead History for more animated histories of the world's greatest cities.

#istanbul #constantinople #history