Day 32 – Edirne, Turkey to Istanbul, Turkey – 134 mi.

Once again we face a relatively long walk on our way to our destination city, Istanbul. Perhaps you thought it was Constantinople? “In 324, Constantine the Great captured the city after the location was identified by a prophetic dream. Byzantium (now renamed as Nova Roma which eventually became Constantinopolis, i.e. The City of Constantine) was officially proclaimed as the new capital of the Roman Empire six years later, in 330. Following the death of Theodosius I in 395 and the permanent partition of the Roman Empire between his two sons, Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. As well as being the centre of an imperial dynasty, the unique position of Constantinople at the centre of two continents made the city magnet for international commerce, culture and diplomacy.”