The Ottoman Empire began around 1299 under Osman I. It grew from a small Anatolian state into a vast empire. By the 1500s it held the Balkans, much of the Middle East, and North Africa.
The conquest of Constantinople in 1453 was the turning point. Sultan Mehmed II took the city on May 29, ending the Byzantine Empire. He made it his capital and renamed it Istanbul. The city became a center of trade, faith, and art.
The Seljuk Turks came before the Ottomans. Their win at Manzikert in 1071 opened Anatolia to Turkish rule. Ottoman rule left deep marks on Istanbul. The Blue Mosque and the Suleymaniye Mosque date from this era. So do the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar.
The empire ended in 1922 after World War I. Modern Turkey rose from its core lands. Istanbul keeps the layers of this history in its streets. Read about master’s degree costs in Turkey, see whether Turkey is cheap for international students, and explore Mediterranean archaeology in Cyprus.

