Ottomano

Ottomano, in its historical sense, refers to the Ottoman Empire, a political and military state that controlled large parts of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa from the late 13th century until the early 20th. Founded by Osman I in the rising Turkish beylik of Anatolia around 1299, the empire expanded rapidly. Bursa served as an early capital, later Edirne (Adrianople) became the capital in the 14th century, and after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Istanbul remained the imperial seat for most of its history. At its height, the empire stretched from the gates of Vienna to the Persian Gulf and from the Sahara to the Caucasus.

The Ottoman state combined a centralized autocratic monarchy with a multiethnic, multilingual society. The sultan wielded supreme authority, aided by the grand vizier and a hereditary administrative corps. Provinces were governed by beylerbeyis and sanjak sheriffs, while land and revenue were organized through the timar system. The millet system allowed religious communities to manage their own affairs under their leaders. The military included the elite Janissaries, created through the devshirme, and a powerful navy. Culturally, the Ottomans fostered architecture, science, and trade, integrating influences from across three continents.

Decline began in the 17th century, marked by military setbacks, territorial losses, and economic strain. Efforts at reform, including the Tanzimat era (1839–1876) and later constitutional movements, aimed to modernize the state, but imperial dissolution followed World War I. The empire officially ended in 1922 when the sultanate was abolished, and the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923. The Ottomans left lasting legacies in law, administration, culture, and the regions they once governed.