SocietyThe Middle East
The Ottoman empire at its height
From Vienna to Yemen, ruled by a law code and a fleet
See it on the timeline →In depth
The empire governed through the millet system, in which religious minorities held internal autonomy in their own courts — an arrangement more accommodating than contemporary European practice, but which also entrenched inequality. The Ottomans took in Jews expelled from Spain in 1492. The siege of Vienna in 1529 marked the northern limit of expansion.
For children
Under Suleiman the Ottoman empire reached from Hungary to North Africa and Arabia. He was called "the Lawgiver" for codifying the realm's laws. The architect Sinan built mosques still reckoned masterpieces.
Connects to
Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org