Istanbul, largest city and principal seaport of Turkey. It was the capital of both the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The old walled city of Istanbul stands on a triangular peninsula between Europe and Asia. Sometimes as a bridge, sometimes as a barrier, Istanbul for more than 2,500 years

Constantinople Agreement, (March 18, 1915), secret World War I agreement between Russia, Britain, and France for the postwar partition of the Ottoman Empire. It promised to satisfy Russia’s long-standing designs on the Turkish Straits by giving Russia Constantinople (Istanbul), together with a

canals and inland waterways: Administration: …an Anglo-French agreement, was the Constantinople Convention of 1888, establishing the Suez Canal as an international waterway open to all in war and peace, finally implemented. In 1956 British presence in the area ended, and troops were withdrawn from the Canal Zone; the Egyptian government nationalized the assets of the…

hazelnut: colurna) are sold commercially as Constantinople nuts. The former common name for the genus was hazel; various species were termed filbert, hazelnut, or cobnut, depending on the relative length of the nut to its husk, but this distinction was found to be misleading.

Mary Mills Patrick: …American High School became the American College for Girls at Constantinople, later known as Constantinople Woman’s College. Patrick served as president of the college from its opening. Her summer studies at the Universities of Heidelberg, Zürich, Berlin, Leipzig, Paris, and Oxford resulted in a Ph.D. from the University of Bern,…

canals and inland waterways: Administration: …an Anglo-French agreement, was the Constantinople Convention of 1888, establishing the Suez Canal as an international waterway open to all in war and peace, finally implemented. In 1956 British presence in the area ended, and troops were withdrawn from the Canal Zone; the Egyptian government nationalized the assets of the…

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, honorary primacy of the Eastern Orthodox autocephalous, or ecclesiastically independent, churches; it is also known as the “ecumenical patriarchate,” or “Roman” patriarchate (Turkish: Rum patriarkhanesi). According to a legend of the late 4th century, the

Fall of Constantinople, (May 29, 1453), conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire. The dwindling Byzantine Empire came to an end when the Ottomans breached Constantinople’s ancient land wall after besieging the city for 55 days. Mehmed surrounded Constantinople from land

First Council of Constantinople, (381), the second ecumenical council of the Christian church, summoned by the emperor Theodosius I and meeting in Constantinople. Doctrinally, it adopted what became known to the church as the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (commonly referred to as the Nicene

Fourth Council of Constantinople, (869–870), a council of the Christian church, meeting in Constantinople. The Roman church eventually recognized it as the eighth ecumenical council, but the Eastern church for the most part denied its ecumenicity and continues to recognize only the first seven

Nestorius: …was an early bishop of Constantinople whose views on the nature and person of Christ led to the calling of the Council of Ephesus in 431 and to Nestorianism, one of the major Christian heresies. A few small Nestorian churches still exist.

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, honorary primacy of the Eastern Orthodox autocephalous, or ecclesiastically independent, churches; it is also known as the “ecumenical patriarchate,” or “Roman” patriarchate (Turkish: Rum patriarkhanesi). According to a legend of the late 4th century, the

Austria: Acquisition of Bohemia: …and became formalized in the Peace of Constantinople (1562).

Peter I: The Northern War (1700–21): By the Russo-Turkish Peace of Constantinople (Istanbul, 1700) he retained possession of Azov. He was now turning his attention to the Baltic instead, following the tradition of his predecessors.

The diversion of the Fourth Crusade from the Holy Land to attack, capture, and pillage the Byzantine city of Constantinople in April 1204 divided and dissipated the efforts of the Christians to maintain the war against the Muslims. It is widely regarded as a shocking betrayal of principles out of

Second Council of Constantinople, (553), the fifth ecumenical council of the Christian church, meeting under the presidency of Eutychius, patriarch of Constantinople. Pope Vigilius of Rome, who had been summoned to Constantinople, opposed the council and took sanctuary in a church from May to

Eastern Orthodoxy: Relations with the Western church: However, on May 29, 1453, Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks. Sultan Mehmed II transformed Hagia Sophia into an mosque, and the few partisans of the union fled to Italy.

Byzantine Empire: Final Turkish assault: …in 1421, the days of Constantinople and of Hellenism were numbered. In 1422 Murad revoked all the privileges accorded to the Byzantines by his father and laid siege to Constantinople. His armies invaded Greece and blockaded Thessalonica. The city was then a possession of Manuel II’s son Andronicus, who in…

Eastern Orthodoxy: Relations with the West: In 1755 the Synod of Constantinople decreed that all Westerners—Latin or Protestant—had invalid sacraments and were only to be admitted into the Orthodox Church through baptism.

Third Council of Constantinople, (680–681), the sixth ecumenical council of the Christian church, summoned by the emperor Constantine IV and meeting at Constantinople. The council condemned the monothelites, among them Pope Honorius I, and asserted two wills and two operations of Christ.

Nicene Creed, a Christian statement of faith that is the only ecumenical creed because it is accepted as authoritative by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and major Protestant churches. The Apostles’ and Athanasian creeds are accepted by some but not all of these churches. Until the

Constantine the African was a medieval medical scholar who initiated the translation of Arabic medical works into Latin, a development that profoundly influenced Western thought. Constantine possessed an excellent knowledge of Greek, Latin, Arabic, and several additional languages acquired during

Constantine II was a Roman emperor from 337 to 340. The second son of Constantine the Great (ruled 306–337), he was given the title of caesar by his father on March 1, 317. When Constantine the Great died in 337, Constantine II and his brothers, Constans and Constantius II, each adopted the title

Constantine was a usurping Roman emperor who was recognized as coruler by the Western emperor Honorius in 409. Proclaimed emperor by his army in Britain in 407, Constantine crossed to the European continent with a force of British troops; by the end of the year he controlled eastern Gaul. An army

Constantine I was the first Roman emperor to profess Christianity. He not only initiated the evolution of the empire into a Christian state but also provided the impulse for a distinctively Christian culture that prepared the way for the growth of Byzantine and Western medieval culture. Constantine

Constantius I was a Roman emperor and father of Constantine I the Great. As a member of a four-man ruling body (tetrarchy) created by the emperor Diocletian, Constantius held the title of caesar from 293 to 305 and caesar augustus in 305–306. Of Illyrian descent, Constantius had a distinguished

Constantius II was a Roman emperor from ad 337 to 361, who at first shared power with his two brothers, Constantine II (d. 340) and Constans I (d. 350), but who was the sole ruler from 353 to 361. The third son of Constantine I the Great and Fausta, Constantius served under his father as caesar

Constantius III was a Roman emperor in 421. Constantius came from Naissus (modern Niš, Serbia) in the province of Moesia. In 411, as magister militum (“master of the soldiers”) under the Western Roman emperor Flavius Honorius (reigned 393–423), Constantius helped to overthrow the usurping emperor

Gallus Caesar was the ruler of the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire, with the title of caesar, from 351 to 354. Sources dating from this period describe Gallus’ reign at Antioch (present-day Antakya, Tur.) as tyrannical. His father, Julius Constantius, was the half brother of Constantine the

Katina Paxinou was an internationally recognized Greek actress known for her tragic roles in both modern and classic drama. With her second husband, the Greek actor-producer Alexis Minotis, she produced revivals of classic plays in ancient outdoor Greek theatres and translated modern plays into

Constance was the queen of Sicily (1194–98) and Holy Roman empress-consort (1191–97). Her marriage to a Hohenstaufen gave that German dynasty a claim to the throne of Sicily and her political skill preserved the throne for her son. The daughter of King Roger II of Sicily, Constance married the

Constellaria, genus of extinct bryozoans (small colonial animals that produce a skeletal framework of calcium carbonate) especially characteristic of Ordovician marine rocks (505 to 438 million years old). The structure of Constellaria is branching and generally flattened front to back with

Baltimore: History: Navy’s first ship, the Constellation, was launched in Baltimore in 1797, and its namesake, the last all-sail warship built (1854) for the navy, has been moored in the city’s harbour since 1955; in the late 1990s the ship underwent extensive restoration. The Continental Congress met in Baltimore (December 1776–March…

constellation, in astronomy, any of certain groupings of stars that were imagined—at least by those who named them—to form conspicuous configurations of objects or creatures in the sky. Constellations are useful in assisting astronomers and navigators to locate certain stars. From the earliest

Constellation program, canceled U.S. crewed spaceflight program that was scheduled as a successor to the space shuttle program. Its earliest flights were planned to carry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) beginning in 2015. However, missions to the Moon by 2020 and to Mars after

thought: The process of thought: …theory resembled the earlier “constellation theory” of constrained association developed by Georg Elias Müller. Hull held that one particular response will occur and overcome its competitors because it is associated both with the cue stimulus (which may be the immediately preceding thought process or an external event) and with…

Jake Gyllenhaal: Stage work: …in his first Broadway production, Constellations.

Joan Miró: Mature work and international recognition: …to Spain, where he painted Constellations (1941), a series of small works scattered with symbols of the elements and the cosmos, expressing the happy collaboration of everything creative. During the last year of the war (1944), Miró, together with his potter friend José Lloréns Artigas, produced ceramics with a new…

constipation, delayed passage of waste through the lower portion of the large intestine, with the possible discharge of relatively dry, hardened feces from the anus. Among the causes cited for the disorder are lack of regularity in one’s eating habits, spasms of the large intestine, metabolic

Alejandro Aravena: …rebuilding the hard-hit town of Constitución, where he built the Villa Verde Housing (2013), also based on the incremental housing design, a seaside promenade (2014), and the Constitución Cultural Centre (2013–15).

Mexico City: City layout: …city is the enormous concrete-covered Plaza de la Constitución, or Zócalo, the largest public square in Latin America. At its edges stand the Metropolitan Cathedral (north), National Palace (east), Municipal Palace, or city hall (south), and an antique line of arcaded shops (west). A few blocks to the west is…

constituency, basic electoral unit into which eligible electors are organized to elect representatives to a legislative or other public body. The registration of electors is also usually undertaken within the bounds of the constituency. Constituencies vary in size and in the number of

Labour Party: Policy and structure: These organizations include the constituency Labour parties (CLPs), which are responsible for recruiting and organizing members in each of the country’s parliamentary constituencies; affiliated trade unions, which traditionally have had an important role in party affairs; the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), comprising Labour members of Parliament; and a variety…

Tunisia: Transition: …the composition of the 217-member Constituent Assembly, a new body with a mandate to appoint an interim cabinet and draft a new constitution. With voter turnout at nearly 70 percent, the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party emerged as the clear victor, winning 90 seats with more than 40 percent of the…

Egypt: Government and society: In 2012 a 100-member Constituent Assembly was appointed by the newly elected legislature to write a draft constitution to be approved by a national referendum. Because Islamist parties had won a more than two-thirds majority in the legislature, Islamists were appointed to the majority of seats in the Constituent…

Constituent Assembly, popularly elected body that convened in 1918 in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) to write a constitution and form a government for postrevolutionary Russia. The assembly was dissolved by the Bolshevik government. The election of the Constituent Assembly was held on Nov. 25, 1917

linguistics: Chomsky’s grammar: …three sections, or components: the phrase-structure component, the transformational component, and the morphophonemic component. Each of these components consisted of a set of rules operating upon a certain “input” to yield a certain “output.” The notion of phrase structure may be dealt with independently of its incorporation in the larger…

Germany: Frederick II and the princes: …to all territorial lords (Constitutio, or Statutum in Favorem Principum, 1232) gave them written guarantees against the activities of royal demesne officials and limited the development of imperial towns at the expense of episcopal territories. But the charters were not always observed, and until 1250 the crown remained formidable…

Caracalla: …most famous measure, the so-called Constitutio Antoniniana de Civitate, as a device designed solely to collect more taxes.

Italy: The Investiture Controversy: …factions in 1037 by the Constitutio de feudis, which made the fiefs of the vavasours hereditary. The settlement, however, did not create a lasting peace. A group of vavasours and lower clergy led by Arialdo and Erlembaldo opposed the archbishop, who was supported by the capitanei. The dissidents, known as…

Royal Household of the United Kingdom: The medieval household: …Stephen’s reign (1135–54) when the Constitutio domus regis was compiled. Like the household ordinances of the later Middle Ages, it is primarily concerned with the daily wage in money and the allowance of bread, wine, and candles due to each household officer and ignores the fact that the less important…

constitution, the body of doctrines and practices that form the fundamental organizing principle of a political state. In some cases, such as the United States, the constitution is a specific written document. In others, such as the United Kingdom, it is a collection of documents, statutes, and

William Lyon Mackenzie: …more radical news paper, the Constitution, in which he supported ideas of Jacksonian democracy (the policies of U.S. President Andrew Jackson). As corresponding secretary for the extreme wing of the Reform Party, he communicated with Louis Joseph Papineau in Lower Canada (now in Quebec), who was already planning rebellion. An…

Constitution, warship renowned in American history. One of the first frigates built for the U.S. Navy, it was launched in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 21, 1797; it is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat. (The HMS Victory is older [1765] but is preserved in a drydock at Portsmouth,

Ralph McGill: …whose editorials in the Atlanta Constitution had a profound influence on social change in the southern United States. He was sometimes called “the conscience of the New South,” and his influence was also important in interpreting the Southern states to the North and West.

Sir William Fox: …statesman who helped shape the Constitution Act of 1852, which established home rule for New Zealand. He also served four short terms as the nation’s prime minister (1856, 1861–62, 1869–72, 1873).

British North America Act, the act of Parliament of the United Kingdom by which in 1867 three British colonies in North America—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada—were united as “one Dominion under the name of Canada” and by which provision was made that the other colonies and territories of

Australian Patriotic Association: …in the passage of the Constitution Act of 1842 and the incorporation of the city of Sydney as a municipality with a broadly based franchise.

Canada Act, Canada’s constitution approved by the British Parliament on March 25, 1982, and proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II on April 17, 1982, making Canada wholly independent. The document contains the original statute that established the Canadian Confederation in 1867 (the British North America

Grand Canal: The Constitution Bridge, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and unveiled in 2008, lies to the west of the Scalzi Bridge. It links the railway station to the bus terminal and parking complex at Rome Square.

Civil Constitution of the Clergy, (July 12, 1790), during the French Revolution, an attempt to reorganize the Roman Catholic Church in France on a national basis. It caused a schism within the French Church and made many devout Catholics turn against the Revolution. There was a need to create a new

St. Stephen’s Day, the name for either of two holidays that are observed in honor of two Christian saints, both of whom are named Stephen. In many countries December 26 commemorates the life of St. Stephen, a Christian deacon in Jerusalem who is believed to have been the first Christian martyr (he

Golden Week: …are Shōwa Day (April 29), Constitution Day (May 3), Greenery Day (May 4), and Children’s Day (May 5).

Constitution of 1791, French constitution created by the National Assembly during the French Revolution. It retained the monarchy, but sovereignty effectively resided in the Legislative Assembly, which was elected by a system of indirect voting. The franchise was restricted to “active” citizens who

Constitution of 1795 (Year III), French constitution established during the Thermidorian Reaction in the French Revolution. Known as the Constitution of Year III in the French republican calendar, it was prepared by the Thermidorian Convention. It was more conservative than the abortive democratic

constitution of 1917, the fundamental law of the Mexican federal republic. Amended several times, it guarantees personal freedoms and civil liberties and also establishes economic and political principles for the country. In 1916, with most of central and southern Mexico under his Constitutionalist

papyrology: …was a manuscript of Aristotle’s Constitution of Athens, found by an American missionary in Egypt in 1890. New biblical manuscripts have also come to light, and the papyrus scrolls found in the Dead Sea area since the late 1940s have been an outstanding aid to the study of ancient Judaism…

Egypt: Government and society: …panel to replace the 2012 constitution.

Article 370 of the Constitution of India, a constitutional provision, abrogated in 2019, that granted special status and a high degree of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir state, India. Included in the Constitution of India when it came into effect in 1950, Article 370 was contentious from the start

F.A. Hayek: The critique of socialism and the defense of classical liberal institutions of F.A. Hayek: In The Constitution of Liberty and elsewhere Hayek identified the social institutions that he felt would most effectively achieve the goal of liberty. He argued that a system of free markets—in a democratic polity, with a private sphere of individual activity that is protected by a…

Italy: Birth of the Italian republic: The Constitution of the Republic of Italy established a parliamentary system of government with two elected houses (Chamber of Deputies and Senate). It also guaranteed civil and political rights and established an independent judiciary, a constitutional court with powers of judicial review, and the right of…

Constitution of the United States of America, the fundamental law of the U.S. federal system of government and a landmark document of the Western world. The oldest written national constitution in use, the Constitution defines the principal organs of government and their jurisdictions and the basic

Constitution of the Year VIII, French constitution established after the Coup of 18–19 Brumaire (Nov. 9–10, 1799), during the French Revolution. Drafted by Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès, it disguised the true character of the military dictatorship created by Napoleon Bonaparte, reassuring the partisans of

France: The Consulate: ” The constitution of the year XII (May 1804), establishing the empire, was approved in a plebiscite by more than 3,500,000 votes against about 2,500. (After this point General Bonaparte was known officially as Emperor Napoleon I.)

Constitution of 1795 (Year III), French constitution established during the Thermidorian Reaction in the French Revolution. Known as the Constitution of Year III in the French republican calendar, it was prepared by the Thermidorian Convention. It was more conservative than the abortive democratic

church year: Roman Catholic Church: The “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy” of the Second Vatican Council called for further reforms. These have been completed in the new calendar and lectionary promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969.

Destour, Tunisian political party, especially active in the 1920s and ’30s in arousing Tunisian national consciousness and opposition to the French protectorate. The forerunner of the Destour, the Young Tunisians, had engaged the Tunisian intellectual elite but lacked widespread support. Forced

Danville: Constitution Square (site of 10 conventions that drafted the first state constitution) is preserved as a state shrine. The house where Dr. Ephraim McDowell performed the first successful ovariotomy (1809) has been restored by the Kentucky State Medical Association.

Athens: The city plan: …palace, a large garden square, Síntagma (Constitution) Square, was laid out. Today it is garnished in the tourist season with some of Europe’s most luxurious cafe chairs, and at all seasons it is hemmed in by tall new buildings and elderly luxury hotels. Broad avenues were created and are still…

Connecticut, constituent state of the United States of America. It was one of the original 13 states and is one of the six New England states. Connecticut is located in the northeastern corner of the country. It ranks 48th among the 50 U.S. states in terms of total area but is among the most

constitution theory, in the philosophy of Logical Positivism, the view that certain concepts—in particular, scientific ones—are in the last analysis defined by other concepts that express relations between experiences. Constitution theory was fully articulated by Rudolf Carnap, a philosopher of

Constitution of the United States of America, the fundamental law of the U.S. federal system of government and a landmark document of the Western world. The oldest written national constitution in use, the Constitution defines the principal organs of government and their jurisdictions and the basic

China: Formation of a rival southern government: The Constitution-Protecting Army (Hufajun), made up of southern troops, launched a punitive campaign against the government in Beijing and succeeded in pushing northward through Hunan. Sichuan was also drawn into the fight. Duan tried to quell the southern opposition by force, while Feng advocated a peaceful solution. Duan…

Constitutional Act, (1791), in Canadian history, the act of the British Parliament that repealed certain portions of the Quebec Act of 1774, under which the province of Quebec had previously been governed, and provided a new constitution for the two colonies to be called Lower Canada (the future

Kōshaku Katsura Tarō: His Rikken Dōshikai was at first unsuccessful but eventually became one of the two major political groups in pre-World War II Japan. Katsura’s third premiership lasted only seven weeks (December 1912–February 1913) and ended amidst riots against his oligarchic methods and his program for greater armaments.…

Camille Chamoun: …political faction known as the Constitutional Bloc, a predominantly Christian group that emphasized its Arabic heritage in an attempt to establish a rapport with the Muslim groups. By the late 1940s Chamoun had emerged as one of the bloc’s most prominent members. When his expectations of succeeding Bishara al-Khuri as…

The phrase “constitutional carry” refers to the Second Amendment’s “right to bear arms.” It means a resident does not have to obtain a state permit to carry a concealed weapon in that state. Constitutional carry laws “allow individuals to carry loaded, concealed handguns in public without first

Constitutional Convention, (1787), in U.S. history, convention that drew up the Constitution of the United States. Stimulated by severe economic troubles, which produced radical political movements such as Shays’s Rebellion, and urged on by a demand for a stronger central government, the convention

constitution: Constitutionality: …certain constitutional matters by a Constitutional Council. Soon after the French electorate, in a referendum in 1958, had voted to accept the Constitution, a controversy erupted in France over the question of whether the president of the republic could submit to popular referendum issues not involving constitutional amendments but on…

Niger: 2009 constitutional crisis: …the referendum to the country’s Constitutional Court, but on May 26 the court issued a nonbinding ruling that the referendum would be unconstitutional without the approval of the National Assembly; later that day Tandja dissolved the legislative body. In early June Tandja created a committee to draft a new constitution,…

Spain: Economic recovery and Catalonian independence: …the central government and the Constitutional Court by holding an unofficial referendum on independence on November 9, 2014. Some 81 percent of those who voted supported independence, but the turnout was under 40 percent of eligible voters. Nonetheless, exactly one year later the regional parliament narrowly approved a measure to…

court: Constitutional courts: The democratic transition that occurred in many parts of the world in the late 20th century resulted in the proliferation of courts charged with constitutional adjudication, though the formal powers of these high courts vary considerably from one country to another. Some are…

Bulgaria: Justice: The Constitutional Court, composed of 12 justices (each of whom serves a nine-year term), is charged with interpreting the constitution and ruling on the legality of measures passed by the National Assembly. The parliament, the president, and the supreme courts each appoint four justices.

Hungary: Constitutional framework: The revision established a Constitutional Court, elected by Parliament, which reviews the constitutionality of legislation and may annul laws. It also provides for an ombudsman for the protection of constitutional civil rights and ombudsmens’ groups for the protection of national and ethnic minority rights.

Italy: Constitution of 1948: …constitution is upheld by the Constitutional Court, which is composed of 15 judges, of whom 5 are nominated by the president of the republic, 5 are elected by parliament, and 5 are elected by judges from other courts. Members must have certain legal qualifications and experience. The term of office…

Russia: Justice of Russia: …supplemented since 1991 by a Constitutional Court, established to review Russian laws and treaties. The Constitutional Court is presided over by 19 judges, who are nominated by the president and approved by the Federation Council. Appointed to life terms, judges for both the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court must…

South Africa: Justice: The judiciary comprises the Constitutional Court (with powers to decide on the constitutionality of legislative and administrative actions, particularly with respect to the bill of rights), the Supreme Court of Appeal (the highest court of appeal except in constitutional matters), the High Courts, and Magistrate’s Courts. Parliament may create…

liberal democracy, a form of democracy in which the power of government is limited, and the freedom and rights of individuals are protected, by constitutionally established norms and institutions. Like the broader concept of democracy, liberal democracy is what the Scottish philosopher and

Kadet, a Russian political party advocating a radical change in Russian government toward a constitutional monarchy like Great Britain’s. It was founded in October 1905 by the Union of Liberation and other liberals associated with the zemstvos, local councils that often were centres of liberal

constitutional engineering, process by which political actors devise higher law, which is usually—but not always—specified in a formal written document and labeled the constitution. Any particular instance of constitutional engineering must deal with certain basic questions of organization and