There are few cities on our planet whose history goes back more than 25 centuries. And there are even fewer ancient cities whose biography would be as closely connected with the destinies of many states and peoples as those of Byzantium - Constantinople - Istanbul - a city in two parts of the world, built by history itself as a bridge between East and West. Flipping through the pages of his amazing life, you can travel back in time, allowing you to clearly understand the full power of human creativity and the destruction of wars for civilization. The book tells in a lively and fascinating form about the history of one of the oldest cities in the world, about its political and cultural life, about folk movements in different eras; Based on personal impressions, the author tells about modern Istanbul. 2nd edition, expanded.