The Byzantine Empire, the Greek eastern section of the old Roman Empire, survived the disintegration of the Latin West by approximately a thousand years. ... Instead, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and sacked the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. ... The city itself remained prosperous as the Muslim capital in the Ottoman period, but the Christian Eastern Orthodoxy period ended at this time. ... The Hagias Sophia served as the Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. This church once served as the Or...

• Word Count: 1614
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate