Random Worldbuilding Questions (Biology, Geography, Society, etc.)

[HeadlessMermaid]

As an aside Constantinople was in theory a big city in a desert like area. Sure it was on the ocean, but if you can magically conjure water it amounts to the same thing. So you might want to look at the history of Constantinople

There was never anything remotely desert-like around Constantinople. The area has a Mediterranean climate, but with a lot of humidity and a lot of rain. Hence, a whole lot of greenery. It's a very fertile region. (Also, it's on the Sea of Marmara, effectively connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, but it's not near any actual ocean. )