Taylor's+Byzantine+and+Muslim+Museum

 The Byzantine Empire lasted for more than one thousand years. Its capital was the city of Constantinople, previously called Byzantium, which was established by the Roman ruler Constantine in A.D. 330. Constantinople is located on a strait called the Bosporus, which makes it a great place for trade. Goods came to Constantinople from places like Egypt, China, and Kiev in Russia. One of the greatest Byzantine emperors was Justinian. He created Justinian’s Code, an organized collection of Roman laws for use by the Byzantine Empire. After Justinian’s death, however, the Byzantine Empire began to decline. There was a religious dispute in which the Christian church split into two branches – the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. From about 900-the mid 1,000’s, the Byzantine Empire experienced a second Golden Age. Trade increased and the population of Constantinople grew in size and diversity. Unfortunately in 1453 a force of 70,000 Turks surrounded the city, and the Byzantine capital fell. But new Muslim rulers would come to rebuild the city and make it an imperial capital. Renamed Istanbul, Constantinople became the center of Muslim culture and the Ottoman Empire. Islam was a rising new religion, and after the Islam prophet Muhammad’s death in 632, Islam spread to North Africa, Spain, Persia, India, and China. As Arab merchants traveled along the Mediterranean coast, they helped spread their religious beliefs. Many Christians converted to Islam. The Muslims quickly grew powerful once they began to work together to conquer neighboring territories. The golden age of Muslim lasted from 800-1100, and had many great rulers, called caliphs. One, Harun ar-Rahshid, supported the arts and music, and lavishly rewarded those whose works pleased him. Also, math and science flourished during the golden age. Arab scholars invented algebra and the zero. Muslim writers created lasting works of literature during the golden age, too. One group of Muslims, the Sufis, used poetry to teach their ideas and beliefs. The most famous Sufi poet, Rumi, founded a religious group that used music and dance to communicate with God. Both the Muslim and Byzantine empires were strong and powerful for long periods of time and made a lasting impact on society today.
 * BYZANTINE AND MUSLIM EMPIRES **

** This is the head of Constantine I. It was once part of a much larger bust. The completed statue would have been about 10 feet overall. This bust of Constantine was created shortly after he created his city of Constantinople. At that time, it was very common for emperors to make statues of themselves. ** ** Head of Constantine I ** Rome, ca. 325 Marble H. 37 1/2 in. (95.3 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y. (26.229) []



Governor of Istanbul visits Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople August 05, 2010 | 15:06 On August 3, Governor of Istanbul Huseyin Avni Mutlu visited the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. He was received by Head of the Religious Council of the Armenian Patriarchate Archbishop Aram Ateshyan. The Governor met with the representative of the Armenian community and said they are well aware of Armenians’ problems and do their utmost to solve them in a friendly atmosphere. []

They Might Be Giants had something to say about the change from Constantinople to Istanbul: media type="youtube" key="IqJXxHi6RwQ?rel=0" height="390" width="480"