Civilization · 1299 – 1922
Ottoman Empire
Six centuries of Islamic empire across three continents.
Capital: Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople (Istanbul) · Middle East (West Asia)
Overview
Rising from a small Anatolian beylik, the Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453 and built a multi-ethnic empire that at its 16th-century height reached from Algiers to Baghdad and Budapest.
Timeline
- 1299Osman I founds the dynasty
- 1453Mehmed II takes Constantinople
- 1520 – 1566Suleiman the Magnificent
- 1683Second Siege of Vienna repulsed
- 1922Sultanate abolished
Rulers
Conqueror of Constantinople
Absorbed the Mamluks and the caliphate
Lawgiver and empire-builder
Wars & conflicts
- Ottoman–Habsburg wars
- Russo-Turkish wars
- Balkan Wars
- World War I
Architecture
Mosque complexes by Sinan (Süleymaniye, Selimiye), Topkapi Palace, imperial külliyes.
Religion
Sunni Islam; millet system for Christian and Jewish communities.
Economy
Timar land grants, caravanserais, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean trade.
Technology
Massive siege artillery, naval galley warfare, standardized administration.
Art
Iznik ceramics, calligraphy, miniature painting, silk and carpet weaving.
Influence
Shaped the Balkans, Middle East and North Africa; heir to the Islamic caliphate.
Decline
Loss of technological edge, nationalist revolts, WWI defeat, Kemalist republic.
Key sites
- Topkapi Palace
- Süleymaniye Mosque
- Edirne
- Bursa