History Tours - The Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire or Byzantium is the term used to describe the Greek-speaking and Christian Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered around Constantinople, modern day Istanbul. The Empire is also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, although this name is more commonly used when referring to the time before the fall of the Western Roman Empire. During much of its history it was known to many of its Western contemporaries as the Empire of the Greeks because of the dominance of Greek language, culture and population.
To the Byzantines themselves their Empire was simply the continuation of The Roman Empire, and its emperors continued the unbroken succession of Roman emperors.
The Byzantine empire is generally said to have begun with the establishment of Constantinople in 330 AD by Constantine, the first christian Roman Emperor, and ended following the sacking of the city by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
Byzantian churches, castles, monuments and remains
The middle ages in Europe saw the development of both the cathedral and the castle. Antalya provides several examples of Byzantine castles, and many churches, some still in use today.
- Kalekoy, or Simena in Greek > Byzantine 'village of the castle' with sunken Lycian Necropolis