Rise of the Empire
Topkapı Palace and Life at Court
Three courtyards, the Imperial Council, the Harem and the Enderun: the palace Mehmed II founded and the Ottomans governed from for roughly four centuries.
Ottoman History Articles
From rise to fall: sultans, battles, architecture and everyday life.
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.
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.
Rise of the Empire
The Conquest of Constantinople: 53 Days That Changed the World
How Mehmed II took Constantinople in 1453: the Rumeli Fortress, giant cannons and ships dragged overland.
Founding Era
From Söğüt to Bursa: The Founding of the Ottoman State
The first steps of a small frontier principality that grew into an empire spanning three continents.