Byzantine Empire refers to the territories that spanned across Greek speaking eastern regions of the Mediterranean Sea. It was representative of the Roman State and culture. The empire rose succeeding the demise of the Roman Empire. Religion followed by the majority of these people was Christianity but due to the reign of the

, there remained a continued conflict between the Christians and the Muslims.

Here are some impressive facts about the Byzantine Empire:

• The Byzantine Empire is said to have been one of the greatest empires of all times, having lasted for as long as 1125 years.

• Originally Byzantine was the name of a small town located at the Bosphorus Strait (connecting Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea). The town served as frontier land between the Greek and Persian empires.

• Byzantium was an important town in the Roman Empire and was the centre of civic culture.

• It is Byzantine Empire that inspired the Renaissance period in Europe. Much of Europe was waned in barbarism and the period was referred to as the Dark Ages when the Byzantine Empire flourished with Greek and Roman traditions.

• The year 590 BC saw the destruction of Byzantium by the Persians which was later rebuilt by the Spartans that led to conflict between Athens and Sparta which continued till 336 BC.

• Byzantium came under Alexander’s control and remained a part of his massive empire from 336 BC to 323 BC. It regained independence after the death and fall of Alexander’s empire.

• When Emperor Constantine I came into power having defeated Maxentius and Licinius in the civil wars, he became the first Christian Emperor of the Roman Empire. It was during his reign that Christianity grew as the dominant religion, although he regretted not having been able to achieve a unified Church.

• Byzantine during Constantine’s reign became the capital of the magnificent Constantinople, one of the finest cities ever built and thereby marking the dawn of a new era.

• The Justinian Code introduced during the reign of Emperor Justinian I were a set of laws that helped Byzantine flourish and prosper. His laws were written down in a book known as the Corpus of Civil Law.

• Justinian I known for his architectural achievements built the Hagia Sophia in 538 AD, which became the centre of Greek Orthodox Church. The Cathedral stands till this date in Istanbul and is known as one of the many impressive churches in the world.

• Byzantine Empire was in a continued war against the Muslim emperors throughout the middle Ages including their participation in the Crusades (the war for control of the Holy Land).

The decline of the Byzantine Empire was caused by the attacks of Crusaders, Ottoman Turks and the Seljuk Turks. The end of the 11th century marked the beginning of the Crusades with a series of war being fought by the Western Christians against the Muslims of the Middle East. The Ottoman Army stormed Constantinople in the year 1453. Today Byzantine or the city of Constantinople is modern day Istanbul and is one of the largest cities in Turkey.