28 March: Istanbul

On this date in 1930 Constantinople had its name changed to Istanbul by Kemal Atatürk. 10 things you might not know about Istanbul.

1. This name change wasn't the first the city had had. When it was founded in around 660 BCE, it was called Byzantium, probably after its king. When Constantine the Great made it capital of the Roman Empire in 330 CE, it became known as Constantinople, which means "City of Constantine". He wanted to call it "Nova Roma" ("New Rome") but it never caught on. The name Istanbul derives from the Greek for "to the city" as it was the only major city in the area. When the name changed in 1930, the Turkish Post Office refused to deliver mail addressed to Constantinople, to make sure people used the new name.
2. Istanbul is the only city in the world which straddles two continents: Asia and Europe.
3. Like Rome, Istanbul is built on seven hills. It is surrounded by sea, with a river, the Bosphorus cutting right through it.
4. The city's population is over 13 million - as many people live in Istanbul as in the whole of Belgium.
5. Most of the people who live in Istanbul are Muslims, and as it's a huge city (the largest city in Turkey), it's known for its sheer numbers of mosques - over 3,000 of them. Among Istanbul's mosques are some of the best known in the world, the Suleiman Aniye and Sultan Ahmed Mosques. The latter is also known as The Blue Mosque, because the interior has thousands of blue tiles. The Blue Mosque is over 500 years old, and is still an operational mosque. The Hagia Sophia, on the other hand is now a museum, having been built as an Orthodox Christian cathedral in 537 CE, and having served as a mosque during the Ottoman Empire.
6. 17th century Ottoman Sultan Murad VI made drinking Coffee a crime punishable by death. He closed all the coffee houses, but not content with that, he'd stalk the city streets in disguise with his executioner, and if he caught anyone drinking coffee they would have their heads chopped off on the spot.
7. Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen airport is named after the world’s first female fighter pilot. She learned to fly when she was 23 and became a decorated pilot in the Turkish air force.
8. Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express during a stay in Istanbul, at the Pera Palas Hotel. Paul Theroux and Ernest Hemingway also found the city inspiring.
9. During the Ottoman Empire, the city was known for having more than 1,400 public Toilets, while other cities in Europe didn't have any.
10. Although tulips are associated with the Netherlands, the flowers originated in Istanbul - they were originally sent from Istanbul to The Netherlands.

New!

Closing the Circle

A stable wormhole has been established between Earth and Infinitus. Power Blaster and his friends can finally go home.

Desi Troyes is still at large on Earth - Power Blaster has vowed to bring him to justice. His wedding to Shanna is under threat as the Desperadoes launch an attempt to rescue their leader. 

Someone from Power Blaster's past plays an unexpected and significant role in capturing Troyes.

The return home brings its own challenges. Not everyone can return to the life they left behind, and for some, there is unfinished business to be dealt with before they can start anew.

Ben Cole in particular cannot resume his old life as a surgeon because technology no longer works around him. He plans a new life in Classica, away from technology. Shanna hears there could be a way to reverse his condition and sets out to find it, putting herself in great danger. She doesn't know she is about to uncover the secret of Power Blaster's mysterious past.

Available from:

Amazon (Paperback)

Amazon Kindle

Completes The Raiders Trilogy. 

Other books in the series:

Book One

Book Two