Question

What was the capital of

Answer 1

Answer:

1. Constantinopole

2. Location and the walls

Explanation:

The capital of the Byzantine Empire was called Constantinopole (today it is Istambul). It was proclaimed to be the capital by emperor Constantine the Great and got named after him. It became capital in 324, while it was still known under the name of Byzantium and it fell under the Ottoman rule in 1453. The name was changed to Istambul in 1930.

For a long time, Constantinople was very hard to conquer before its final fall. The reasons for it are usually cited as the cities great strategic location and its walls.

The location of the city was great and it was a key factor for making the capital there. The city lies on the Bosporus, surrounded by the sea. This proved it suitable for trade as well as for protection. It was easy to see who are the enemies coming by the ships from nearly all sides. Army of Constantinopole had great advance in the defense this way.

The city was also surrounded by great walks on all sides, both towards the sea and the land. In the 5th century, there was even the second layer of walls built, making the city twice as protected and hard to conquer. The walls were very tall and thick. They still exist today in parts.