Why naming Istanbul Constantinople remains a radical political act
In short: The architecture of Istanbul serves as a physical record of conquest. This video explores how the city's pre-Ottoman past functions not as a foundation for modern identity, but as a persistent opposition to it.
In Istanbul, invoking the name Constantinople is viewed as a radical political statement. Unlike other nations that integrate their history into modern identities, the city's Hellenic and Christian past remains in dramatic tension with its present state.
The persistence of these structures serves to empower ruling regimes—specifically late Ottoman and Republican—by remaining 'conquered.' This dynamic is maintained by ensuring churches continue to function as mosques and spaces of power remain largely unexplored.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: From Hagia Sophia to Ayasofya: Architecture and the Persistence of Memory
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