Exile to Constantinople
On 3 May 1863, Bahá’u’lláh rode out of Baghdad on His way to Constantinople (known today as Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, accompanied by His family and some of His devoted followers. He had become much loved by the people of Baghdad. Eyewitnesses said crowds gathered along the road, and many onlookers, including scholars and government officials, were overcome with emotion as they paid their respects.