A Concise History of Istanbul

If ever a city were in a need of a concise recounting of its history, it is Istanbul. Properly told, its story could fill multiple volumes of heavy, academic tomes. But we’re far too busy for detail or nuance, and so have distilled the past of one of the world’s most historic cities into a ridiculous list of easily digestible highlights. Students of Mrs. Dent’s sixth-grade history class: you’re welcome! Learned professors and graduate students: you might want to look elsewhere.

6500 BC
The earl...