The Ottoman Empire was founded circa 1299 by Osman I in northwestern Asia Minor, south of the Byzantine capital Constantinople. The Ottomans crossed into Europe in 1352, moving their capital to Adrianople in 1369. They expanded in Asia Minor by annexing many small Turkic beylics.
They conquered Constantinople in 1453, and then expanded deep into Europe, northern Africa, and the Middle East. The Ottoman territory increased exponentially under Sultan Selim I, who assumed the Caliphate in 1517 as the Ottomans defeated the Mamluks of Egypt and annexed western Arabia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Levant. Within the next few decades, much of the North African coast became part of the Ottoman realm. Slowly after many wars and internal problems, the Ottoman sultanate started to crumble. See the entire story in this video!
