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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))

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Qatar and Turkey mediated between the two sides, with talks held in Doha and Istanbul.

From BBC

A Turkish amateur footballer has gone viral for saving a seagull's life with CPR after it was struck down during an Istanbul match.

From Barron's

Joe was previously the Journal's Africa bureau chief in Johannesburg and Turkey bureau chief in Istanbul.

From The Wall Street Journal

Also on Swiss ballet troupe's Istanbul programme was another classic Bejart interpretation of Stravinsky's "Firebird" -- but the performance opened with a new work: "Oskar".

From Barron's

A footballer acted on a wing and a prayer when he gave emergency CPR to a seagull after it was hit by a ball during a match in Istanbul this week -- reviving the bird.

From Barron's