1453: The Ottomans Attack Constantinople This city was a very important trading center The Ottoman’s siege of Constantinople is successful and they emerge as a world power Afterwards, the Ottomans changed the name of the city to Istanbul http://vimeo.com/6746927 http://www.history.com/shows/mankind-the-story-of-all-of-us/videos/fall-of-constantinople

The Sultan The empire was led by a sultan, who was the absolute ruler over a strong centralized government It reached its height under the sultan, Süleyman the Magnificent (1540-1566)

Suleyman the … Magnificent Builder Conqueror Lawgiver How he was known to Europeans because of the grandeur of his empire Builder Because of his numerous construction projects in Istanbul: mosques, hospitals, bridges, palaces He was also a poet and great art-lover Conqueror Expanded Ottoman territory Campaigned all the way to Austria Lawgiver Instituted Islamic law across the empire

The Ottomans The Ottomans were Muslims, but they were relatively tolerant of other religious beliefs Millet system: Non-Muslims had to pay a special tax if they lived in the empire, but they could worship freely Ottoman law was also more tolerant of women than contemporary European kingdoms, allowing them to own & inherit property and to gain positions of power The empire was run in a relatively hands-off manner, meaning that as long as you didn’t revolt and you paid your taxes, you were mostly left in peace

Location, location, location! The empire was located at the meeting point of three continents and became a center of trade Its navy was also very strong, since the empire surrounded the Mediterranean Sea

The Ottomans were well known for their crafts, especially ceramics and textiles, their importance to the spice trade, and for exporting coffee

The end of the world as they knew it… Following the death of Suleyman the empire began a long, slow decline, although the Ottomans will remain in power until World War I Reasons for the decline include The defeat of the Ottomans in Vienna (darn bakers!) The growth of the Safavid Empire and Russia The “discovery” of the Americas The use of ships for trade instead of land routes Weak leadership and declining innovation

What modern day countries were once a part of the Ottoman Empire? http://www.rethinkingschools.org/just_fun/games/mapgame.html        

The Ottoman Empire Geography: On what three continents was the Ottoman Empire located? Circle Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) on the map. Government What was the title given to Ottoman leaders? Who was the most important Ottoman ruler? What are some of the accomplishments of this leader? Religion What religion did the Ottomans practice? What happened to you if you were a non-Muslim living there? Economy Because of their superb location, the Ottoman empire became a center of trade. What were some of the goods they were especially known for trading? The Decline of the Ottoman Empire Though in existence until WWI, the Ottoman empire declined slowly after Suleyman. Its armies lost territories and new trade routes to the Americas and Asia by sea lessened the importance of the Ottoman’s location. Why else did they grow weak?