Final answer:
Emperor Constantine created Constantinople as the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire in 330 CE, due to its strategic location and economic importance. The city became a center of wealth, power, and trade for over a millennium until the Ottoman conquest in 1453 CE.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emperor Constantine established Constantinople as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, in 330 CE.
The city's strategic location controlled the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, this was crucial as it served as the gateway between Europe and Asia and was vital for trade.
Constantine's move was a significant shift from the traditional seat of power in Rome, marking the city as the new center of Roman civilization and initiating the Byzantine Era, which lasted until the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 CE.
The strategic importance of Constantinople, along with its wealth, fortified defenses, and prosperous economy, made it one of the most significant cities of the late antiquity and the Middle Ages.