Founding Era
The Battle of Ankara and the Interregnum: When the Ottomans Nearly Fell
Defeat by Timur in 1402, the captivity of Bayezid the Thunderbolt and an eleven-year struggle between brothers for the throne.
An Ottoman history blog · 1299–1922
In the footsteps of a six-century empire
Sultans, battles, cities and the lives of ordinary people. From Istanbul to Vienna, in search of the Ottoman traces you can still see today.
Featured article · Rise of the EmpireTopkapı Palace and Life at CourtThree courtyards, the Imperial Council, the Harem and the Enderun: the palace Mehmed II founded and the Ottomans governed from for roughly four centuries.The Ottomans in 600 years
Turning points. Underlined dates have an article.
- 1299Osman founds his principality
- 1326Bursa falls and becomes the capital
- 1402Battle of Ankara, the Interregnum begins
- 1453The conquest of Constantinople
- 1520Suleiman the Magnificent takes the throne
- 1683Second Siege of Vienna
- 1718The Tulip Era begins
- 1826The Janissary Corps is abolished
- 1839The Tanzimat reforms are proclaimed
- 1876The first constitution
- 1922The sultanate is abolished
Latest articles and trips
All articles →All trips →Rise of the Empire
The Janissary Corps: From Its Founding to Abolition (1826)
From the first Ottoman standing army to the Auspicious Incident: the rise, privileges, revolts and end of the Janissaries in 1826.
Rise of the Empire
Suleiman the Magnificent: A 46-Year Reign
From Belgrade to the gates of Vienna, from law codes to the Süleymaniye: the longest-reigning Ottoman sultan.
Stagnation Era
The Tulip Era: Peace, Pleasure and a Revolt
Twelve years from Passarowitz to Patrona Halil: the gardens of Sadabad, the first Ottoman printing press, Nedim's poetry and an abrupt end.
Rise of the Empire
Mimar Sinan: Apprentice, Journeyman, Master
From Janissary engineer to chief architect of the empire: Sinan's life told through three mosques, in his own words.
Söğüt, Bilecik
A Trip to Söğüt: The Town Where an Empire Was Born
I visited the Tomb of Ertuğrul Gazi and the traces of the founding era in Söğüt, a small town in Bilecik.
Ottoman Traces in Europe
Over centuries the Ottomans left a legacy reaching from the Balkans to Central Europe.
Vienna, Austria · 1529 / 1683
The Sieges of Vienna: The Gate Where the Ottomans Stopped
Suleiman in 1529, Kara Mustafa Pasha in 1683: the furthest Ottoman goal in Central Europe.
Budapest, Hungary · 1541–1686
Budapest: The Tomb of Gül Baba and the Ottoman Baths
What remains of 145 years of Ottoman Buda on the Danube: a dervish’s tomb and baths that are still open today.
Szigetvár, Hungary · 1566
Szigetvár: Suleiman’s Last Campaign
The Hungarian town where Suleiman the Magnificent died in 1566, and the recently rediscovered site of his tomb.