Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire was a vast Islamic state that built thriving cities and mosques with grand domes and slender minarets.

A major Islamic empire that lasted over six centuries, with its capital at Istanbul. Extending across three continents, it was renowned for charitable endowment systems, majestic domed mosques designed by Mimar Sinan, and the patronage of Arabic calligraphy and illuminated Qur'ans.

An enduring Islamic empire founded in northwestern Anatolia in the late 7th century AH (c. 1299 CE) by Osman I, enduring until 1922 CE. Following the conquest of Constantinople in 857 AH (1453 CE), it expanded across Anatolia, Southeastern Europe, the Arab provinces, and North Africa. Characterized by centralized administration blending Islamic jurisprudence with customary imperial decrees (kanun), it achieved renowned architectural mastery through central domed complexes, fine calligraphy, and extensive socio-religious waqf endowments.