The Ottoman Empire was a country, and technically a caliphate, the last official Sunni Islamic state governed by a leader

with the title caliph, which means someone who is considered to be the governmental religious

successor of the prophet Muhammad and thus the head of the entire Muslim community worldwide.

The Ottoman Empire was a big deal because of its position as the head of this

massive global religion, but also because of how sprawling it was in terms of land and wealth.

Initially founded by the Turks, the country took on a more Persian character after its early

conquests in southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa,

leading up to the 14th century.

A few hundred years later, at the apex of its power, under a leader named Suleiman the Magnificent,

who ruled over about 5% of the planet's population at the time, about 25 million people, had expanded the reach of the empire further into the West, ruling portions of Eastern Europe, alongside the rest of his massive realm, reportedly keeping Western European rulers on edge, constantly worrying that he could decide to just steamroll over the whole of the

continent at any time, though he was, despite his reputation, as the head of the most feared

military power in the region at this time, a lot more focused on investing in Ottoman arts

and culture and learning. Solomon is known for having been militarily feared,

but also for having lorded over the nation during its cultural height, something that he's purported

to have brought about personally. And he was so associated with this surge in Ottoman culture

that when he died, there was a common assumption that the Empire, too, would not be long for this world.

Part of this assumption, it was later learned, was due to the misinterpretation of what was happening in the area

literarily by those who documented the next steps for Western audiences.

After Suleiman's death, future sultans of the empire were keen to make

changes to how things operated, including becoming more conservative in their ideals,

and more insular and stern in their interpretation of their faith. The writers of the era,

wanting to maintain the relative openness that existed under

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