Constantinople

2012-04-03T01:26:08Z

174.112.146.109: Adding categories

{{Era|Brotherhood|Revelations|PL|DYL|Rbook}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{WPlocations}}
{{Quote|Many generations of men have ruled the city. But they have never subdued her. She always bounces back.|[[Yusuf Tazim]] regarding Constantinople.|Assassin's Creed: Revelations}}
{{Location infobox
|name = Constantinople
|image = Constantinoplepic.png
|hidep =
|state = [[Ottoman Empire]]
|rulers = Sultanate
|factions = [[Byzantines]] [[Templars]] [[Assassins]]
|hideh =
|founded = {{Wiki|Constantine the Great|Constantine I}}
|date = c. 671 - 662 BC (as {{Wiki|Byzantium|Byzantium}})
|abandoned =
|hidea =
|landmark = [[Topkapı Palace]] [[Hagia Sophia]] [[Galata Tower]]
|flags =
|targets = [[Vali cel Tradat]] [[Cyril of Rhodes]] [[Georgios Kostas]] [[Lysistrata]] [[Mirela Djuric]] [[Odai Dunqas]] [[Tarik Barleti]] [[Ahmet]]
}}
'''Constantinople''', also known at various times as '''Byzantium''', '''Kostantiniyye''' or '''Istanbul''', was the capital of the {{Wiki|Byzantine Empire}} and its successor - the [[Ottoman Empire]] - following the conquest of 1453. The only pan-continental city in the world; during the [[Renaissance]], it was Europe's largest and wealthiest city, consisting of four distinct districts; [[Constantine District|Constantine]], [[Bayezid District|Bayezid]], [[Imperial District|Imperial]], and [[Galata District|Galata]].

==History==
In 1204, the city was visited by the [[Mentor]] of the [[Levantine Assassins]], [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]], who had hopes of introducing the [[Assassins|Assassin Brotherhood]] to the city. However, mass riots followed by the arrival of {{Wiki|Fourth Crusade|European Crusaders}} who sacked the city, forced him to retreat.<ref name="The Secret Crusade">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]''</ref>

In 1258, [[Niccolò Polo|Niccolò]] and [[Maffeo Polo]] established an Assassins Guild in Constantinople, after returning from the Assassin Fortress of Masyaf, thus forming the [[Turkish Assassins]] branch. They hid the five [[Masyaf Keys]] given to them by Altaïr in the [[Yerebatan Cistern]] entered by a secret door in Polo's old trading post; the [[Maiden's Tower]]; and beneath [[the Forum of the Ox]], [[Galata Tower]] and what would become [[Topkapı Palace]].<ref name="Revelations"/>

During the [[Renaissance]], at some point between 1501 and 1507, the Doge of [[Venice]], along with Sultan [[Bayezid II]], sought to ally their considerable naval powers through a free trade treaty. However, the [[Templars]] were wary of any peace between the two, and became intent on interfering with their alliance. The [[House of Borgia|Borgia]] dispatched a force of [[mercenaries]] to disrupt the agreement, but they were quickly intercepted by members of the [[Italian Assassins]], who set their ship aflame before they could depart.<ref name="Project Legacy">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]''</ref><ref name="Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

By 1509, the Templars had started to relocate themselves to Constantinople due to their defeat in Italy and the disruption of their activities throughout Western Europe. The Templars formed a faction known as the [[Byzantines|Stewards of Byzantium]] and attempted to seize control of the city in the wake of Bayezid's absence, due to his civil war with his son [[Selim I|Selim]].

An {{Wiki|1509 Istanbul earthquake|earthquake}} uncovered the Key hidden beneath Topkapı Palace. Two years later, after traveling to Masyaf to reveal his Assassin heritage, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], Mentor of the Italian Assassins, arrived in Constantinople to retrieve the other Keys before the Templars. His leadership enabled the Assassins to reclaim their [[Assassin Dens|dens]] from the Byzantines and liberated most of the shops from their control, much as he had in Rome, as well as training several Assassins to the rank of [[Master Assassin]], through the [[Eradication of the Byzantine agents|assassination]] of key Templar agents. However, when Selim took control of the throne, he banished Ezio from Constantinople, though allowed him one final visit to the city to sort out his affairs, by request of his son [[Suleiman I|Suleiman]].<ref name="Revelations">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref><ref name="Revelations novel">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations (novel)]]''</ref>

==Trivia==
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'', the city is slightly smaller than [[Rome]] was in Brotherhood, but it has more buildings, and is more densely populated.
*[[Alexandre Amancio]], the Creative Director of the [[Assassin's Creed (series)|''Assassin's Creed'' series]], stated at E3 that Constantinople is a "really cool metaphor for Ezio meeting Altaïr", citing the fact that half of Constantinople was in Europe, and the other in Asia.
*It is also stated by [[Darby McDevitt]] that Constantinople would be a meaningful meeting of Ezio and Altaïr as the city itself was formerly under Christian control, then Muslim, which suits Altaïr and Ezio as the former hails from a Muslim culture in [[Syria]] and the latter hails from a Christian [[Italy]].

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="160" captiontextcolor="#ffffff" bordersize="medium" captionalign="center">
constantinople.png|Concept art of Constantinople.
PL MyEnemysEnemy.jpg|Artwork from ''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]''.
Imageassassinscreedreve (2).jpg|The port of Constantinople.
ACR Constantinople Port.jpg|Concept art of Constantinople's Port
ACR Street Art HD.png|Ezio walks towards Hagia Sophia
ACR Constantniople Port.jpg|Constantinople port concept art.
ACR Street Art 2 HD.png|Ezio walking in Constantinople.
ACR Street Art 3 HD.png
ACR Constantinople Gates Art HD.png
78.jpg
Constantinoplepanoramic.png|Constantinople as seen from the Bosphorus.
</gallery>
{{wide image|PanoramaConstantinople.jpg|1000px|Panorama of Galata during the 16thcentury.
|alt=Panorama of Constantinople}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACRevelations}}
[[Category:Constantinople| ]]
[[Category:Cities of Europe]]
[[Category:Cities of Asia]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade Locations]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy Locations]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Revelations Locations]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Revelations (Novel) Locations]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Revelations events]]

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Constantinople