Turkey (The Ottoman Empire)

• Coat of arms/Flag
• Capital City- Edirne
• Other Settlements –
• Places –
• Languages – Persian (language of the court, diplomacy, poetry, historiographical works, literary works, taught in state schools), Ottoman Turkish, many others
• Religion(s) – Sunni Islam
• Government – Absolute monarchy
• Legislature –
• Current Ruler – Mehmed II
• Other Notable residents –

In Asia Minor, the Seljuq sultanate of Rum suffered a destructive invasion by the orcs, and quickly fell apart. It was succeeded by numerous military chiefdoms under the control of Turkish warriors, called ghazis, committed to fighting against Byzantium. One such ghazi, called Osman, established himself in a leading position on the Byzantine frontier. His successors captured the Byzantine cities of Nicaea and Nicomedia, and had soon annexed the whole of north-west Anatolia, once the heartland of the Byzantine empire. From there, they crossed into the south-eastern corner of Europe and moved up into the Balkans.

The growth of this state – known as the Ottoman empire – was interrupted by a disastrous defeat at the battle of Ankara at the hands of Timur. However, the Ottoman sultans soon re-established their control, and reorganized their military forces around their fearsomely efficient palace army, the Janissaries. With this new force the Ottomans resumed their conquests, and this year, under sultan Mehmed II, the Conqueror, they are besiging the city of Constantinople, to finally extinguishing the Roman Empire and send a shock wave throughout Europe.