The Ottoman Empire ruled areas of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East from 1299 to 1922. The word ‘Ottoman’ is a name that comes from Osman, the name of the Turkish chief who brought the empire together. A leader like Osman was called ‘sultan,’ a title like king or czar.

In 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople and it became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. For 6 centuries, the city remained a central cultural crossroad, where people from the east and west would meet and traded goods.

The Ottoman Empire controlled a very large area of land, including parts of modern Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Hungary, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and a large section of coastal north Africa.

By 1683, the power of the empire was declining. With weak leaders and its people getting poorer, the empire officially ended on November 1, 1922. The sultans were removed from power and Turkey was declared a republic.

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Text: Celeste Beck; Image: Jenny M Buccos