Constantinople, known today as Istanbul, is the largest city in Turkey. In ancient times the Greeks called the city Byzantium. In 330 AD it became the seat of the Roman Empire under Constantine I, and its name was changed to Constantinople. In 1261 the city came under Byzantine rule again, but in 1453 it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks. As a result, many Greek scholars left for the West, where they were influential in the Renaissance rebirth of classical learning. Under the Ottoman Turks, the city became popularly known as Istanbul. The name was not officially changed, however, until 1930.
