Constantinople: Istanbul's Historical Heritage

by Stefanos Yerasimos

This impressive book reveals the inheritance of a fascinating city before the readera??s eyes. Christened a??Constantinoplea?? by Constantine the Great, the city successively served as the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires and commanded a key position between Occident and Orient for more than sixteen centuries. The wealth of cultural treasures that characterise the face of Constantinople today reflects this rich history. The Hagia Sophia stems from the early Christian era; the Middle Ages bequeathed churches and monasteries rich in mosaics as well as illuminated Manuscripts and icons; and the cultural renaissance following the conquest of the city by Mehmed II in 1453 brought magnificent palaces and mosques, calligraphic treasures, and book and mini- ature paintings inspired by Persian and Arabic forms. The buildings of the Ottoman baroque period and nineteenth-century architecture complete the excep- tional cityscape Istanbul boasts today. Richly illustrated and studded with selected literary documents, this book conveys a living experience of Constantinople in all its various aspects.

Genres: History, Art, Travel, Architecture, Archaeology, Nonfiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2005

About the author

Stefanos Yerasimos (1942-2005) Yunan asıllı Türk ve Fransız tarihçi.
İstanbul'da 1942 yılında doğan Yerasimos, 1966 yılında Devlet Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi'nin Yüksek Mimarlık Bölümü'nden mezun oldu. “Paris Institut d'Urbanisme de l'Universite”den şehircilik diploması alan Yerasimos, 1973 yılında Sorbonne Üniversitesi'nde ”Azgelişmişlik Sürecinde Türkiye” konulu doktora tezi verdi. Yerasimos, 1986 yılında ise “Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nda Gezginler” konulu ikinci bir doktora tezi yazdı. Paris Üniversitesi'nin Şehircilik Bölümü'ne 1972 yılında öğretim görevlisi olarak giren Yerasimos, 1989 yılında aynı üniversiteden profesör unvanı aldı.
Yerasimos, 1994-1999 yılları arasında İstanbul'daki Fransız Anadolu Araştırmaları Enstitüsü'nün müdürlüğünü yaptı. Stefanos Yerasimos, yakalandığı kanser hastalığına 20 Temmuz 2005'de Paris'te yenik düştü.
Çok sayıda Fransızca ve Türkçe araştırma ve makaleleri bulunan Yerasimos'un Türkiye'de yayımlanan başlıca eserleri şunlar:
“Azgelişmişlik Sürecinde Türkiye”
“Türk-Sovyet İlişkileri, 1917-1923”
“Türk Metinlerinde Kostantiniye ve Ayasofya Efsaneleri”
“Milliyetler ve Sınırlar”
“İstanbul: İmparatorluklar Başkenti”,
“Süleymaniye”
“Sultan Sofraları”

Reviews

[Patricio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelente, un "coffee table book" que habla de la arquitectura e historia de de la capital de los Imperios bizantino y otomano, está bien documentado y tiene excelentes fotografías de los edificios mas emblemáticos de "la ciudad".

[Wally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a magnificent book, got it from the library here in Auckland, NZ. I don't use the word magnificent lightly, I'm a booklover and have read tens of thousands of books in all subjects under the sun. Art books are among my favourites. Wanted to email the author to compliment her then found out through Wikipedia that she passed away a few years ago.
I was in Istanbul about 8 years ago on busines and had only 1 day to see the sights, and saw what I could, the haga sophia, a couple of ancient churches and the murals there. I would love to go back especially to Antalya, Izmir and see the remnants of the ancient Christian and Byzantine civilisations.
The photos are wonderful, and the explanation, historical backgrounds are eye-opening no matter your level of culture, it is very educational.
This book would make an ideal gift to a young person who needs to understand the background of our imperiled Western Civilisation.

rightwally^at^gmaildohtcohm

[Jenny Esots · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very large coffee table book.
Given 5 stars for the luscious reproductions of mosaics and interiors.
Dovetails nicely with Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler. Both books follow the rise and fall of empires. Ghost Empire giving a fascinating insight into the various leaders and their downfall.
Worth owning.

[Trish Graboske · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous book on architecture and history. It took me months to get through it, however.

[Anonymous]

rare