"Constantinople and the Golden Horn, Turkey, ca. 1899" by trialsanderrors is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Constantinople appears in Frankenstein a few times, but its relevance is nonetheless significant. It is the place where Safie and her father fled from; this we learn from the monster’s story. The ancient city of Constantinople, then the capital of the Ottoman Empire, is now known as Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey. First settled in the seventh century B.C., Constantinople developed into a thriving port thanks to its prime geographic location between Europe and Asia and its natural harbor. (History.com) In the early 1900’s many wars wiped out the remains of the Ottoman Empire, including the Balkan Wars and World War I. The fall of Constantinople in the Romantic period led to many Muslims fleeing, like Safie’s father, in fear of death or forced conversion to Islam under the Ottoman rule. (Carlson) Even moving into the 19^th century and towards the end, citizens of Turkey still face religious problems. I think Mary Shelley incorporated these ethnic elements, even briefly talking about “orientalism”, to allow readers to explore cultural diversity and how people from different backgrounds can learn from each other.

https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/constantinople#sources

https://www.saintsophiadc.org/fall-constantinople-profound-consequences/