The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Istanbul, Turkey.
Prior to 4th century
657 BCE – Byzantium founded by Greeks. 513 BCE – City taken by Persians under the rule of Darius the Great. 479 BCE – Spartans take control of Byzantium from the Persians following their victory at the Battle of Plataea. 411 BCE – Captured by Sparta. 408 BCE – Captured by Athens. 340 BCE – Besieged unsuccessfully by the forces of Philip II of Macedon. 317 BCE – Battle of Byzantium. 193 CE Besieged by Septimius Severus. Population: 15,000 196 – Captured by Septimius Severus. Walls demolished and city razed. 203 Septimius Severus rebuilds the city. Hippodrome built (approximate date). Mese main street built. Baths of Zeuxippus built (approximate date). Walls rebuilt (approximate date). 267 – Captured by the Herules.
4th–15th centuries
315 – Hagia Irene church built (approximate date). 324 8 November: Constantine renames the city as Constantinoupolis and begins large-scale rebuilding. Serpent Column relocated to Byzantium. Hippodrome enlarged. Population: 20,000 328 – 4 November: Constantine dedicates Constantinople as capital. 330 11 May: Column of Constantine dedicated. Church of the Holy Apostles built (approximate date). Chora Church built (approximate date). Milion erected (approximate date). 332 18 May: Free distribution of food to citizens. 80,000 rations a day from 117 distribution points. 359 – First urban prefect appointed. 360 – 15 February: Great Church of Holy Wisdom inaugurated. 362 – Kontoskalion built. 365 – City taken by forces of Procopius. 368 Valens Aqueduct completed. Magnaura palace built (approximate date). Population: 150,000 378 – Battle of Constantinople (378): Gothic attack on the city. 381 – First Council of Constantinople held in the Hagia Irene church. 382 Drought. Second line added to the Valens Aqueduct. 390 – Obelisk of Theodosius installed. 393 Forum of Theodosius rebuilt. Column of Theodosius erected. Arch of Theodosius completed. Population: 200,000 395 – Earthquake (approximate date). 400 – City occupied by the rebel forces of Gainas for several months. 401 – Construction of the Column of Arcadius begins. 403 Forum of Arcadius built. Column of Aelia Eudoxia erected. Earthquake. 407 – 1 April: Earthquake. 413 – Theodosian Walls built. 415 – 10 October: Church of Theodosius II inaugurated. 420 – Palace of Lausus built (approximate date). 421 – Cistern of Aetius built. 425 – 27 February: Pandidakterion school founded by emperor Theodosius II. 428 – Theodosius Cistern built (approximate date). 430 – Palace of Antiochos built. 433 – August: Fire destroys buildings along the Golden Horn. 437 – 25 September: Constantinian and Theodosian Walls damaged by an earthquake. 439 – Boukoleon Palace built (approximate date). 440 – Saint Andrew in Krisei built (approximate date). 447 26 January: Walls damaged by an earthquake. Walls rebuilt in 60 days by 16,000 workers under praetorian prefect Constantinus. 6 November: Constantinian and Theodosian Walls damaged by an earthquake. 450 Column of Marcian erected (approximate date). Church of St. Mary of Blachernae built. 459 Construction of the Cistern of Aspar begins. Augustaion rebuilt. 462 – Monastery of Stoudios founded. 464 – September: Fire begins in the dockyards of the Golden Horn and damages eight of the city's fourteen regions. 473 – Imperial Library of Constantinople burned. 476 – Basilica Cistern rebuilt (approximate date). 478 – 25 September: Walls damaged by an earthquake. 498 – Riot by the Greens damages the Hippodrome and surrounding area. 500 Cistern of Mocius built (approximate date). Palace of Blachernae built (approximate date). Byzantine structure that would become the Balaban Aga Mosque built (approximate date). 524 – Church of St. Polyeuctus built. 527 – Construction of the Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus begins. 532 January: Nika riots. 23 February: Construction of the Hagia Sophia church begins. Basilica Cistern rebuilt and enlarged. 533 – Earthquake. 536 – Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus finished. 537 26 December: Hagia Sophia completed. Population: 300,000–500,000 541 – Plague of Justinian kills 40% of the population. 543 – Column of Justinian erected. 545 – Wheat and wine shortage. 548 – Hagia Irene rebuilt. 550 – 28 June: Church of the Holy Apostles rebuilt. 553 – Second Council of Constantinople held. 554 – 16 August: 554 Anatolia earthquake. 555 – May–July: Bread shortage. 557 – 14 December: 557 Constantinople earthquake destroys large parts of the city. 558 – February–July: Re-occurrence of the plague of Justinian. 560 – Monastery of the Mother of God at the Spring built. 562 – November: Drought. 570 Chrysotriklinos built by emperor Justin II (approximate date). Orphanage of Saint Paul founded (approximate date). 573–574 – Re-occurrence of the plague of Justinian. 575 – Kontoskalion harbor deepened and enlarged. 576 – Valens Aqueduct repaired and expanded. 582 – Famine. 586 – Re-occurrence of the plague of Justinian. 599 – Re-occurrence of the plague of Justinian. 626 – Siege of Constantinople (626) by Avars, Slavs and Sassanian Persians. 674–678 – Siege of Constantinople (674–78). 680 – Third Council of Constantinople held. 690 – Hall of Justinianos built by emperor Justinian II (approximate date). 692 – Quinisext Council held. 698 – Outbreak of plague. 717–718 – Siege of Constantinople (717–18). 740 – October 26: 740 Constantinople earthquake. 747 – Outbreak of plague. 753 – Hagia Irene rebuilt. 758 – Drought. 766 – Valens Aqueduct restored. 769 – Church of the Virgin of the Pharos in existence. 813 – City besieged by Bulgarian forces. 821 – City besieged by forces of Thomas the Slav. 860 – Siege of Constantinople (860). 869 – A portion of the walls collapses in an earthquake. 870 – Fourth Council of Constantinople (Catholic Church) held. 880 Fourth Council of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox) held. 1 May: Nea Ekklesia built. 907 – Siege of Constantinople (907). 908 – Lips Monastery built. 920 – Myrelaion built. 922 – Battle of Constantinople (922). 941 – Siege of Constantinople (941). 971 – Church of Christ of the Chalke built by emperor John I Tzimiskes. 1000 – Hagios Theodoros built (approximate date). 1030 – Monastery of St. Mary Peribleptos built by emperor Romanos III Argyros. 1045 – Monastery of St. George of Mangana built (approximate date). 1047 – September: Siege by rebels under Leo Tornikios. 1049 — Theotokos Euergetis Monastery founded. 1059 – Saint Thekla of the Palace of Blachernae built. 1060 – Pammakaristos Church built (approximate date). 1081 – Chora Church rebuilt. 1087 – Monastery of Christ Pantepoptes built. 1100 Paper in use. Saint John the Forerunner by-the-Dome built. 1110 Kecharitomene Monastery built. Maiden's Tower built. 1136 – Monastery of the Pantocrator completed. 1147 – September: Battle of Constantinople (1147) 1181 – 2 May: Uprising of Maria Komnene against the rule of Alexios Komnenos suppressed. 1182 – April: Massacre of the Latins. 1197 – 25 July: Fire destroys the Latin Quarter and other buildings. 1200 – Theotokos Kyriotissa built (approximate date). 1203 – Siege of Constantinople (1203) by the Fourth Crusade, in which Alexius IV was able to usurp the throne after Alexius III fled to Thrace. 1204 – April: Siege of Constantinople (1204) by the Fourth Crusade, in which the Byzantines were overwhelmed and the city thoroughly sacked. 1235 – Siege of Constantinople (1235). 1260 – Siege of Constantinople (1260). 1261 25 July: Captured by Nicaean forces under Alexios Strategopoulos. Population: 35,000 1268 – Kyra Martha nunnery founded. 1289 – June: Earthquake. 1304 – South Church of Lips Monastery built. 1307 – Monastery of Christ Philanthropos built. 1325 – Church of San Domenico built. 1332 – 17 January: Earthquake. 1347 14 October: Earthquake. 18 October: Earthquake. 1348 Galata Tower built. Population: 80,000 1351 – 28 May: Fifth Council of Constantinople completed. 1376 – City besieged by forces of Andronikos IV Palaiologos. 1394 Blockade of the city begun by Ottoman forces under Bayezid I. Anadoluhisarı fortress built.
15th–18th centuries 1402 Ottoman blockade lifted. Earthquake. 1410 – June: Battle of Kosmidion. 1411 – Siege of Constantinople (1411). 1422 – Siege of Constantinople (1422). 1427 – Church of Saint Benoit built. 1437 4 September: Earthquake. 25 November: Earthquake. 1452 – Rumelihisarı fortress built. 1453 6 April-29 May: Final Siege of Constantinople; City besieged by Ottoman forces; Mehmed II in power. Capital of the Ottoman Empire relocated to Constantinople from Edirne. Hagia Sophia (converted from Orthodox cathedral to mosque) in use. Medrese predecessor of Istanbul University established. Population: 40,000–50,000 1454 18 April: Treaty of Constantinople (1454) Imperial Arsenal established. Phanar Greek Orthodox College founded. Ağa hamamı built. 1458 Yedikule Fortress built. Eyüp Sultan Mosque built. 1460 – Grand Bazaar built (approximate date). 1465 – Topkapı Palace construction begins. 1467 – Turkish State Mint established. 1470 Fatih Mosque built. Sahn-ı Seman Medrese established. 1471 – Rum Mehmed Pasha Mosque built. 1472 – Tiled Kiosk built. 1478 – Galata Mosque in use. 1479 – 25 January: Treaty of Constantinople (1479) 1481 – Galatasaray High School established. 1488 – Complex of Sultan Bayezid II built. 1491 – Firuz Agha Mosque built in Fatih. 1497 – Gazi Atik Ali Pasha Mosque built. 1505 – İskender Pasha Mosque, Fatih built (approximate date). 1506 – Bayezid II Mosque built. 1509 – 1509 Constantinople earthquake. 1512 – Vasat Atik Ali Pasha Mosque built. 1520 – Suleiman the Magnificent becomes Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. 1521 – Ibrahim Pasha Palace in use. 1528 – Yavuz Selim Mosque built. 1531 – Piri Mehmed Pasha Mosque built. 1533 – 22 July: Treaty of Constantinople (1533). 1535 – French embassy established. 1539 – Haseki Sultan Complex built. 1541 – Tomb of Hayreddin Barbarossa built. 1542 – Defterdar Mosque built. 1548 Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Üsküdar) built. Şehzade Mosque built. 1550 Mosque with the Spiral Minaret built. Yavuz Sultan Selim Madras built. 1551 – Hadim Ibrahim Pasha Mosque built. 1554 – Coffee house in business. 1555 – November/December: Sinan Pasha Mosque (Istanbul) built. 1556 – Bath-house of Haseki Hurrem Sultan built. 1557 Süleymaniye Mosque built. Süleymaniye Hamam bath built. 1559 – Caferağa Medresseh built. 1560 – İskender Pasha Mosque, Kanlıca built. 1563 – Rüstem Pasha Mosque built. 1567 – Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque (Büyükçekmece) built. 1570 – Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Edirnekapı) built. 1571 – Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque (Kadırga) built. 1572 – Kara Ahmed Pasha Mosque built. 1573 – Piyale Pasha Mosque built. 1577 – Observatory of Taqi al-Din built. 1578 – Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque (Azapkapı) built. 1580 – Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex built. 1581 – Şemsi Pasha Mosque built. 1583 – 26 March: First British ambassador to Constantinople arrives. 1584 Çemberlitaş Hamamı (bath) built. Molla Çelebi Mosque built. Church of St. Mary Draperis, Istanbul established. 1586 Atik Valide Mosque built. Mesih Mehmed Pasha Mosque built. 1590 21 March: Treaty of Constantinople (1590). Zal Mahmud Pasha Mosque built. 1604 – Church of SS Peter and Paul, Istanbul built. 1612 – 20 November: Treaty of Nasuh Pasha. 1613 – Aynalıkavak Palace built. 1615 – Cossack raid on Istanbul (1615) 1616 – Sultan Ahmed Mosque built. 1620 – Cossack raid on Istanbul (1620) 1624 – Cossack raids on Istanbul (1624) 1648 – Atmeydanı incident. 1656 – 26 February: Çınar incident. 1660 24–26 July: Great Fire of 1660. New Bazaar built. 1665 – Valide Sultan Mosque built.