The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman story begins with Osman I, a leader who dreamed of a

tree spanning three continents. From a small Anatolian principality, his successors pushed

into the Balkans, rapidly expanding their influence and power. In 1453,

Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror breached the legendary walls of Constantinople, changing the world

forever. Under Suleiman the Magnificent, the empire reached its peak,

dominating trade and flourishing in law and art. A unique system of administration and

elite Janissary soldiers made the Ottomans a formidable and organized global superpower. But after the

failed Siege of Vienna in 1683, the empire's expansion stalled, starting a long