Istanbul has been proclaimed a European Capital of Culture for 2010. Many Istanbullus must feel that the recognition is long overdue, for, ever since Constantine the Great made it his capital in AD 323, Istanbul has been a vibrant cultural centre and one of the world’s great meeting places. The imperial patronage of Byzantines and Ottomans, its superb location beside the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, guaranteed this. As its wealth and splendor grew, its fame spread far and wide. In the 9th century the Vikings began to head south in search of the fabled city they called Micklegard. They found it and were amazed.