Constantinople or Istanbul what do you call it?

[Geniasis]

Constantinople will always be constantinople. I don't care what people say, that is the cities name, so everyone can just forget about it

Nope. It was founded as Lygos so it will always be Lygos.

Long live the Thracians!

[Angleter]

The circumstances are completely different. Is 'the United States of America' a name that is synonymous with the Obama government? No, it isn't- it represents Obama just as much as it does every American government for the last 220-odd years, it is not a politically-loaded term, unless you're a hyper-British nationalist who opposes the very concept of the USA.I
Is 'Myanmar' a name that is synonymous with the military regime? Most definitely so- they renamed it so (although this isn't necessarily a qualifier: the Prinsevlag predated Apartheid, but became synonymous with it and I'm sure was not viewed by Blacks as representing them), and are the only government to have used that name. It is certainly a politically-loaded term. Same for 'Ho Chi Minh City', 'Democratic Kampuchea', 'Leningrad' and 'Zaire'.
Like I said, however, Istanbul is nowhere near as politically-loaded a term.

No, it's the exact same. Did you still call Iran Persia because the Iranian government is oppressive? I doubt it. It's the same story with every country, every city; you call it what the people residing their and their respective government call it, no matter how much you dislike it, the government, or the people.

No, it is not. Was it the Islamic Republic that renamed 'Persia' 'Iran'? No, it was not. The term has been used since 1935, and so is not a particular name connected to the Islamic Republic. Also, I highly doubt 'Persia' is the name supported by the anti-Ahmadinejad movement in Iran.

Myanmar is a different kettle of fish altogether- it is the name given to it by the military regime and opposed by the democracy movement. Similarly Rhodesia was equated with WMR; Leningrad, Democratic Kampuchea, and Ho Chi Minh City with Communism; and the Prinsevlag was the flag of Apartheid, as the current Belarusian flag is that of Lukashenka's government.

As for what the people residing in the country/city use- do you call Bucharest 'Bucuresti'? Or Moscow 'Moskva'? If you're an English speaker, you almost certainly use the English term for the name- a term that is set by the government. Hence opponents of a particular government will tend to not use a name that is synonymous with that government.

[Auremena]

As for what the people residing in the country/city use- do you call Bucharest 'Bucuresti'? Or Moscow 'Moskva'? If you're an English speaker, you almost certainly use the English term for the name- a term that is set by the government. Hence opponents of a particular government will tend to not use a name that is synonymous with that government.

Actually, I try to. Roma, Bruxelles, Köln, are just a few.

[New Freedomstan]

What's this "Roma" you are talking about? Obviously, Remula is the correct name, before his oppressive brother killed him and took power for himself. I refuse to call Remula by anything beside it's original name.

[Auremena]

No, it's the exact same. Did you still call Iran Persia because the Iranian government is oppressive? I doubt it. It's the same story with every country, every city; you call it what the people residing their and their respective government call it, no matter how much you dislike it, the government, or the people.

No, I don't. I find it humourous you have the arrogance to claim that I do, or will.

I belives you are ignorant to call a city or country something besides it's actual name given by its countrymen.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

What's this "Roma" you are talking about? Obviously, Remula is the correct name, before his oppressive brother killed him and took power for himself. I refuse to call Remula by anything beside it's original name.

Then I shall call France, Gallia. And Scotland, Albhion or Alba.

[Republicke]

firstly, sorry for the quality of this post, i'm on the bus.

I've noted a current here which seems to argue that "i can name things what i like", which is fair enough.

However i think it's worth noting that whilst this perspective legitimises Constantinople, as a principle it doesn't DELIGITIMISE Istanbul.

[Dacius]

Geez, this topic is still going? Let's compromise and call it Byzstantinoplegos. Good?

[Republicke]

Geez, this topic is still going? Let's compromise and call it Byzstantinoplegos. Good?

Hey, don't look at me - I wanted NSG to rename Istanbul pages ago.

[Malaysii]

Now its Istanbul, not Constantinople, blah blah blah something about the Turks.

I call it Istanbul.

[Geilinor]

I call it Istanbul because that's what it's called now.

[Coccygia]

I call it Instantbull Istanbul unless I'm taking about before the Turks gave it the works, in which case I call it Constantinople, unless I'm taking about before Constantine, in which case I call it Byzantium. I never refer to it as Lygos, New Rome, or any of the other names it has had, because I didn't know about those until about a minute ago when I looked it up in Wikipedia. Istanbul comes, IIRC, from the Greek eis ten polin, in the city. I think that lacks a certain poetic grandeur, meself.

[The Soviet Technocracy]

firstly, sorry for the quality of this post, i'm on the bus.

I've noted a current here which seems to argue that "i can name things what i like", which is fair enough.

However i think it's worth noting that whilst this perspective legitimises Constantinople, as a principle it doesn't DELIGITIMISE Istanbul. :)

which is why i use both i just use constatinople more tbh

[Abdju]

I call it Constantinople because...coming from a Greek family, you kind of have to...

But what do you call it? Why?

EDIT:
I am talking about if you are talking about in modern times

I am talking about this city

Uh, Istanbul, because... you know, that's the name of the city. Within my family we often call it "Ist" after IST, the main airport code, as we tend to refer to cities that way, or by another abbreviation.

[North Suran]

1. Constantinople ceased to exist when the name was abolished in the 1930s. Istanbul is the correct and official name. Saying that Constantinople is the 'proper' name for Istanbul is akin to claiming that Londonium is the 'proper' name for London.
2. The correct Greek term would be Constantinopolis, not Constantinople.
3. Saying that you cannot refer to the city as Istanbul because you are Greek is just plain silly, considering the name Istanbul is derived from the Middle Greek phrase for "in the city".

[Greater Rhodes]

Istanbul, its proper name, I don't call Beijing Peking or Quebec New France.

2. The correct Greek term would be Constantinopolis, not Constantinople.

Wouldn't the original Greek be Byzantion, seeing as Contantinople was a Roman city?

[North Suran]

2. The correct Greek term would be Constantinopolis, not Constantinople.

Wouldn't the original Greek be Byzantion, seeing as Contantinople was a Roman city?

Byzantion was refounded as Constantinople, which simply means "Constantine's city".

[Farnhamia]

Wouldn't the original Greek be Byzantion, seeing as Contantinople was a Roman city?

Byzantion was refounded as Constantinople, which simply means "Constantine's city".

I believe it was Nova Roma Constantinopolitana. The "Nova Roma" tended to be left out as time passed. I recall reading that "Constantinopolis" didn't become common until after Constantine's death in 336 (or 337).

[Bor Dome]

Wouldn't the original Greek be Byzantion, seeing as Contantinople was a Roman city?

Byzantion was refounded as Constantinople, which simply means "Constantine's city".

technically, it was refounded as 'New Rome', according to the Latin linguistic view, which was prevalent until Justinian I (6th c. CE).

[Baltenstein]

2. The correct Greek term would be Constantinopolis, not Constantinople.

Actually, it's Κωνσταντινούπολη, or Constantinoupoli.

3. Saying that you cannot refer to the city as Istanbul because you are Greek is just plain silly, considering the name Istanbul is derived from the Middle Greek phrase for "in the city".

Κωνσταντινούπολη is the only name there is for Istanbul in the Greek language.

[Greed and Death]

I call it Constantinople because...coming from a Greek family, you kind of have to...

But what do you call it? Why?

EDIT:
I am talking about if you are talking about in modern times

I am talking about this city

The as a greek you should know that Istanbul derives from a Greek phrase meaning in the city. Much as New Yorkers call New York city simply the city the greeks at the time called Constantinople, Istanbul.

[Sebytania]

2. The correct Greek term would be Constantinopolis, not Constantinople.

Actually, it's Κωνσταντινούπολη, or Constantinoupoli.

3. Saying that you cannot refer to the city as Istanbul because you are Greek is just plain silly, considering the name Istanbul is derived from the Middle Greek phrase for "in the city".

Κωνσταντινούπολη is the only name there is for Istanbul in the Greek language.

How about Ιστάνμπουλ?

[Mr Bananagrabber]

I call it Constantinople because...coming from a Greek family, you kind of have to...

Ok. But if you've a date in Constantinople she'll be waiting in Istanbul.



Don't know if that reference was made already but i'm not looking through 16 pages to check.

[Kalaspia-Shimarata]

I call it Constantinople because...coming from a Greek family, you kind of have to...

Ok. But if you've a date in Constantinople she'll be waiting in Istanbul.

I know that

[President Obama]

I call it

"The next target for shock and awe"