Bysantium

Byzantium, later known as Constantinople and now Istanbul, was an ancient city that served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the eastern Roman Empire, for over a thousand years. Situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, it was a center of trade, culture, and Christianity. Renowned for its impressive architecture like Hagia Sophia, robust defenses, and vibrant urban life, Byzantium preserved Roman and Greek traditions during the Middle Ages. It played a crucial role in shaping European and Middle Eastern history until its fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.