> Which city was the capital of three empires, including the Roman, Byzantine, andOttoman?And the answer is: Constantinople. Photo credit: History.comKnown today as Istanbul, Constantinople was a strategicport city located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. In 330 A.D., the RomanEmperor Constantine rebuilt the city as "New Rome." It went on to serve morethan 1,000 years as the capital of the Byzantine Empire, before becoming thecapital of the Ottoman Empire in 1453.While most historians would agree that the Roman Empire fell around the 5thcentury C.E., Roman Emperor Constantine forged a new seat of power inConstantinople that all but left behind its Roman past. Founded in the ancientGreek city of Byzantium, Constantinople remained distant enough from the burningof Rome to survive and even thrive throughout the Middle Ages. In fact,Constantinople was able to defend its borders and maintain internal security foraround 11 centuries. Within the walls of Constantinople, inherited aspects of ancient Roman culturehelped create an atmosphere of innovation for pursuits in art, science andtechnology. Byzantine artists honored the remnants of the fallen empire byincorporating Roman styles and building off of Roman traditions to create new,grand creations. One notable mention is the famous Hagia Sophia, a church with adome so high it was said that it hung from a chain from heaven. While it wastransformed into a mosque when the Ottomans claimed Constantinople, it remains amasterful work of artistry and architecture. Unfortunately, much of the ancient and medieval art and literature was lostduring the First Crusade. After the fall of Alexios Angelos, the son of adeposed emperor who reclaimed the throne for a short time, the French andVenetian army to whom he had promised riches decided to release their anger untoConstantinople, setting fires across the city. Countless works of art were lost.In its wake, a third of Constantinople was left homeless. The city was neverquite able to recover, and the last of the Roman Empire fell to the Ottomans in1453. Learn more about Constantinople below.