Istanbul Timeline
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Istanbul
Real World Istanbul History
Please be careful when adding real-world information to this wiki page. The Dark Places Wiki is designed mostly as a resource for IC information. The brief history below is included primarily to give players inspiration for their characters.
The area now known as Istanbul has been a center of human habitation since prehistory. It was besieged, conquered and rebuilt by the Romans, when it was known as Byzantium. It was conquered again by Constantine in the 4th century AD, during the fall of the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire split, Constantinople (as it was then called) became the capital of the Byzantine Empire - which managed to retain the learning and culture the western part of the Roman Empire lost. As a gateway between Europe and Asia (technically, the city occupies land on both continents), it became a major center for trade. It was also a religious center for the Eastern Orthodox Church, not in the least because it is where the Patriarch resides, but also because it boasts of the Hagia Sophia.
In 1204, the knights of the Fourth Crusade intended to recapture Jerusalem, but were re-directed and ended up conquering (and sacking) Constantinople instead. After a protracted campaign, the much-reduced city was conquered by Turks in 1453. The conquerors immediately began to rejuvenate the city, inviting Jews and Christians to live there peacefully with the invading Muslims. By and large, this was a success. Istanbul became the thriving, vibrant capital of the Ottoman Empire. It would remain such until the 20th Century, when Kemal Ataturk moved the capital to Ankara.
Istanbul in the World of Darkness
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Who's Who
(Include in this section a list of notable supernatural residents, past and present. For particular populous cities, this section may be divided by venue.)
Customs and Rules
(Include in this section a list of customs and rules which would be known to supernaturals. I.E., if the Prince has strict feeding laws or if the Summer King of the Freehold demands tribute from each visitor).
Antiquity, Prehistory to approx 600 c.e.
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(Feel free to customize this section according to the specific history of the city in question. This section is primarily intended to chart how PCs have interacted with the city)
- 338: Lucius Vitrasius travels to Constantinople as part of the Legio Mortumm after having been promoted to the rank of Equestrian. He is one of those who have converted to the relatively new religion of the Sanctified.
- 338 - 780: Lucius Vitrasius serves the Legio Mortuum for the Sanctified in Constantinople. During this time, he witnesses the fall of the Camarilla and the early formation of the Covenants. Lucius meets a man named Vibius Pontius Caesar, a Kindred of some note in the city and a supporter of the Sanctified. They soon strike up an alliance with each helping to support the other.
Rise of Islam, 600 c.e. to 1000 c.e.
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- 876: A young nobleman is embraced by the Mekhet Invictus Simon Thomas. [R]
- 911: Moi'ses Nasser ibn Abdullah is released from accounting.
- 780 - 880: Lucius Vitrasius takes the mantle of Bishop over Constantinople with the help of his cohort and ally Septimus after the last Bishop is killed during a battle. In return, Lucius supports Vibius Pontius Caesar in taking over as Prince of Constantinople.
The Crusades & Seljuk Empire, 1000 c.e. to 1300 c.e.
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- 1102: Honoria Theodosia Doukaina, dowry safe in her father's hands, leaves Constantinople for marriage to a Magyar Noble in Obuda.
- 1131: Honoria Theodosia Doukaina returned to Constantinople and began to work towards the goals of the Invictus in the court of the Eastern Roman Empire.
- 1170: Mariyah Amat Al-Khafid returns to the city after almost two hundred years and starts her thirty four year service as Prince's Harpy.
- 1205 - 1215: Lucius Vitrasius returns to Constantinople after it has been sacked. All that anyone remembers of this period is the blood he made flow through the streets during these years. After a time, many can see a madness in his eyes, and he once again departs his beloved city.
The Ottoman Empire, 1300 c.e. to 1922 c.e.
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1698 - Fleeing the chaos of Adrianople Abdulmushi ibn Nassar An'Nafi'e el-Haci al-Osmanli is attacked shortly after entering the city and disappears.
1754 - Abdulmushi ibn Nassar An'Nafi'e el-Haci al-Osmanli reappears and immediately departs south to Damascus.
Post-Ottoman and World War II, 1922 c.e. to 1945 c.e.
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Modern Day, 1945 c.e. to Present
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- 2005: A Lancea Sanctum Hadj from Canada and Austraila in search of the Spear of Destiny is used as a catalyst in the City to cause a rift leading to a City wide cleansing.
Rumors
Please use common sense when adding to this section or determining what your character knows or believes
