"Ottoman" Empire

An "Ottoman" Empire is an empire of ottomans spanning rule of six centuries of ottomans in your family room.

Quite hard to define. It was empire that lasted from 1293-1923. Eventually succeeded by Turkey. At the height of it's power the empire spanned over 3 continents -controlling most (if not all) of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and Africa.

The empire was at the center of interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds for six centuries. With Constantinople as its capital city,and vast control of lands around the eastern Mediterranean, the Ottoman Empire was, in many respects, an Islamic successor to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.
Ottomans are most remembered as pioneers of gunpowder infantry and artillery (NOT inventors). Also they were famous for adopting the roman legion idea and building the infamous Janissary Corps, which were by far well trained, and experienced than counterparts. (til the decline,when they started acting like praetorian guards)
Mostly their achievements were militaristic. They successfully invaded and took over major parts in south-east Europe. But their most memorable achievements is the downfall of the western roman empire.
Also accredited with the idea of marching band music, well trained professional soldiers, their cultural impact-paintings,music etc etc.
The empire went to decline largely due to the inability of the new rulers, (none as good as their predecessors). The final blow came at WW1, when the empire dissolved to make home for Turkey.....phew i'm done.
oh they also made the first super-guns btw....

Last known classical empire in European and Middle Eastern history. Founded by a turkish warchief in the early 14th century, it quickly thrived in Anatolian border of Seljuk Sultanate and Eastern Roman Empire(Or what's left of it).

They thrived almost without a halt for around 2 centuries, mixed the classical nomadic mounted cavalry system with roman infantry influences, and with great prowess at firearms.

Conquered considerable amount of land and continued the relentless turkic expansion upon western soils, and unlike their predecesors like huns, or mongols, they managed to stay at where they held their grasp for at least a considerable amount of time.

At its peak, the Empire held Anatolia, most Southeastern Europe, Eastern Coastlands of the Adriatic Sea, Greece, North Africa, Western territories of Iran, all muslim lands between the Persian Gulf and the Redsea and Crimean Peninsula up north.

The infamous Mehmed the 2nd, known as the Great Conqueror even managed to make a foothold at Otranto, Italy. Capturing the city and starting his campaign to make the Ottomans the one and only successors of Roman Empire.

They started to decline after European nations' swift intellectual, political and scientifical rise around 15th century. They struggled internally, never understood capitalism, never managed to adapt mass production and tried to reliy military based Romelike regime for far too long until the inevitable westernization.

A coastal empire governed by Turkey. Unlike the european empires, it mainly captured weak regions, and was no-where near as rich as those empires.


I comprised of parts of South-east Europe, the beggining of South-west asia, most of the middle east and coastal North Africa. Begun in the 14th century, it was mainly the poorer, southernmost states of what was then the most powerful empire to exist; the Roman Empire.

It captured the Baltic capital of rome, constantinople (named after the first christian emporer, Constantine) in 1453. It was renamed Istanbul later that year.

After the 1492 expulsion of the moors from Spain and the 1681 defeat at the battle of Vienna, the empire began to crumble, and some of its' states were separated after the Crimean war. The petty squables of these states would later cause World War I.