| Year | Event | Other aspects |
| 667 BC | Foundation of Byzantium by Greek settlers | The town is located on the tip of a peninsula controlling the Golden Horn, a natural harbour |
| 193-96 AD | Siege and destruction of Byzantium by Emperor Septimius Severus | The town is rebuilt by the emperor who names it Augusta Antonina. |
| 326 | Emperor Constantine selects Byzantium as the new capital (Nova Roma) of the Roman Empire | In 330 the construction of the new city is completed: it will become known as Constantinopolis. |
| 379-95 | Emperor Theodosius I makes Christianity the official state religion of the empire | Theodosius places an obelisk in the Hippodrome and builds a triumphal gate (Golden Gate) at the entrance of the city. |
| 408-50 | Emperor Theodosius II builds new walls | First reconstruction of Hagia Sophia |
| 527-65 | Emperor Justinian conquers Tunisia and Italy. During the 540s an outbreak of bubonic plague greatly reduces the population of the empire and its economy | Second reconstruction of Hagia Sophia. It is thought that the plague killed 40% of the inhabitants of Constantinople. |
| 610-41 | Emperor Eraclius manages to reconquer Syria and Egypt which were occupied by the Persians,
but these provinces are soon lost to the Arabs. | Latin is replaced by Greek as official language of the Empire. |
| 674-78 | First Arab siege of Constantinople | - |
| 717-41 | Emperor Leo III repels the Second Arab siege of Constantinople | Beginning of the Iconoclasm period (730-842) |
| 886-912 | Emperor Leo VI is defeated by the Bulgarians. The strength of the empire rests on its navy. | Venice starts having an important role in shipping to western Europe the luxury goods manufactured at Constantinople |
| 1056-81 | Continued dynastic quarrels weaken the empire. In 1071 Turkish tribes defeat the Byzantines at Manzikert and establish the Sultanate of Rum. | - |
| 1081-1185 | The Comnenan dynasty restores the authority of the state. | Construction of Christ Pantokrator |
| 1204 | The crusaders conquer Constantinople and put a temporary end to the Byzantine Empire | - |
| 1261 | The Byzantine Empire is restored by the Palaeologos dynasty | - |
| 1326-56 | The Ottomans conquer Bursa and Nicaea and expand their territories in Europe. | Decoration of St. Saviour in Chora and of the Parecclesion of Theotokos Pammakaristos. |
| 1420-53 | The Ottomans gradually control most of the Byzantine Empire and in 1453 Sultan Mehmet II conquers Constantinople which becomes the capital of his empire | Construction of Anadolu Hisar and Rumeli Hisar |
| 1460-61 | The Ottomans conquer the last Byzantine possessions at Mistrà and Trebizond. | Sultan Mehmet II starts the construction of Yeni (Topkapi) Sarayi. |
| 1463-79 | War with Venice; the Ottomans conquer Negroponte; they also expand their territories in central Anatolia. | Construction of several mosques by the sultan and his grand viziers. |
| 1499-1502 | War with Venice; the Ottomans acquire several fortresses on the Greek mainland. | Sultan Beyazit II starts the construction of a large mosque. |
| 1512-15 | Expansion of the Ottoman Empire in Syria, Palestine, Egypt and along the coasts of the Red Sea. | - |
| 1522 | The Knights of Rhodes surrender their fortresses in the Aegean Sea. | Completion of Sultan Selim Camii. |
| 1531 | Battle of Mohacs. The Ottomans conquer most of Hungary. | - |
| 1537-41 | War with Spain and Venice; failed siege of Corfu; Ottoman naval supremacy after they defeat a Christian fleet at Preveza. | Mimar Sinan is appointed chief architect of the Ottoman court; Haseki Hurrem Kulliye is his first work in Constantinople. |
| 1542-43 | Alliance with France; the Ottoman fleet raids Imperial possessions in Spain, Sicily and near Naples. | Mimar Sinan builds a turbe for Barbarossa, the admiral of the Ottoman fleet. |
| 1551-62 | War with Spain in the Mediterranean Sea; failed siege of Malta in 1565. | Mimar Sinan builds many mosques and Suleymaniye. |
| 1570-71 | The Ottomans occupy Cyprus. Their fleet is defeated at Lepanto. | Grand Vizier Sokullu Mehmet builds a large mosque at Kadirga. |
| 1574 | After the death of Sultan Selim II, the mothers of the sultans acquire a great power on the government of the state. | Valide Sultan, mother of Sultan Murad II builds a large kulliye at Uskudar. |
| 1593-1606 | Long War with Austria: the Ottomans are unable to expand into Habsburg territory. | Foundation of Yeni (Valide) Camii by Safiye Sultan, mother of Sultan Mehmet III. |
| 1603-14 | The Safavids (Persians) seize Ottoman territories in the Caucasus. | Construction of Sultan Ahmet Kulliyesi. |
| 1645-69 | War of Candia. Rise of the Koprulu family. | Construction of Koprulu Kulliyesi. |
| 1682-99 | War with Austria and Venice; failed siege of Vienna; the Ottomans cede Hungary to Austria and Morea to Venice. | Construction of Yeni Valide Camii at Uskudar in 1708. |
| 1714-18 | New war with Austria and Venice; the Ottomans cede Belgrade to Austria but reoccupy Morea. | - |
| 1718-30 | Tulip period. | Construction of Sultan Ahmet III fountain. |
| 1735-74 | Wars with Russia (1735-39 and 1768-74); in 1771 Count Orloff destroys an Ottoman fleet at Cesme. | Construction of Nuruosmaniye (1748-55) and Laleli Camii (1759-63). |
| 1808-39 | Sultan Mahmut II vainly attempts to strengthen the empire by introducing a series of reforms, including the disbandment of the Janissary corps.
| Construction of Nusretiye Camii and of Beyazit tower |
| 1853-56 | Crimean War; the main European powers compete to take advantage of the Ottoman decline. | The Sultan and his court relocate at Dolmabahce Sarayi |
| 1911-18 | Wars with Italy, the Balcanic nations and finally WWI lead to the dissolvement of the Empire. | - |
| 1923 | The Sultanate is abolished. Ankara
is the capital of the newly founded Republic of Turkey. | - |
- Map of Istanbul and Key Dates
Clickable map of the monuments shown in this section.