what was istanbul called before it was constantinople

Before it was known as Constantinople, the city was actually called Byzantium. It’s pretty wild to think about how many names that place has had over the centuries. I remember reading up on it back when I was really into history stuff during my younger years. It started as a Greek colony way back in the day, founded by settlers from Megara.

The name Byzantium comes from Byzas, who was the legendary founder of the city. Later on, when Constantine the Great decided to make it the new capital of the Roman Empire, he changed it to Constantinople to honor himself. It stuck for a really long time, but locals were already calling it 'eis tin polin', which eventually turned into the Istanbul we use today. It’s definitely one of those spots that has seen way too much history to count.