The Imperial Library of Constantinople and its Famous Disappearance

The transcript explores the history of the Library of Constantinople, its transformation from Byzantium to Constantinople, and the efforts to preserve its vast collection. It discusses the library's destruction during the Crusades and its rumored relocation to Moscow by Sophia of Byzantium. The legend of the lost library of Ivan the Terrible is also examined, with speculation about its existence beneath the Kremlin.

What was the original name of the city now known as Istanbul?

Who was the Roman emperor that rebuilt the town of Byzantium and named it Augusta Antonina?

What significant event occurred in 1453 that affected the Imperial Library?

What was the role of Constantius the Second in relation to the Imperial Library?

What was the fate of the library during the 4th Crusade?

Who is believed to have carried treasures of the Byzantine library to Moscow?

What is the significance of the Vaults of Liberia in relation to the library?