The
Ottoman Empire (sometimes referred to in diplomatic circles as the "Sublime Port" or simply as "the Porte") comprised a
state established by the
Turkish tribe of
Söğüt in western
Anatolia in the early
14th century. The founder was
Osman I (in Arabic
ʿUthmān, hence the name
Ottoman Empire). As sultan
Mehmed II conquered
Constantinople (
Istanbul) in
1453, and the state grew into a mighty
empire. The Empire reached its apex under
Suleiman the Magnificent in the
16th century when it stretched from the
Persian Gulf in the east to
Hungary in the northwest; and from
Egypt in the south to the
Caucasus in the north.
In the 17th century the Ottoman Empire began a long decline, which ended four years after the defeat of the empire by the Allies in World War I.
The following were the sultans of the Ottoman Empire:
See also: Evliya Celebi, Osmanli, Janissary