For the last few weeks we've been talking about the Roman Empire.
- We've learned that our mystery country was part of the Roman Empire.
- We've learned that the boundary between the Western and Eastern Roman Empires passed through our mystery country.
- And we've learned that after the Western Roman Empire disintegrated, our country was part of the Eastern Roman Empire (or Byzantine Empire) for hundreds of years longer.
But what happened after that?
Well, for several centuries, our country was ruled by invaders from other places. And then our mystery country won its independence and became its own country for about 250 years.
But in the 1400s - about 550 years ago - our mystery country was conquered again and became part of yet another empire. And here's another clue: our mystery country was part of the Ottoman Empire!
So what was the Ottoman Empire and where was it located? Read on, because what you learn will help you pinpoint our mystery country.
Find a map of Europe and Asia. Now locate the country of Turkey. It is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea near Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
The Ottoman Empire was centered in Turkey. It lasted for about 600 years, and, in fact, did not end completely until World War I. The Ottoman Empire - just as the earlier Roman Empire - covered a very large area. It stretched over much of North Africa, Southeastern Europe, and Western Asia, and ruled our mystery country for about 400 years.
The center of the Ottoman Empire was the city of Istanbul, Turkey. See if you can find Istanbul on your map. Did you know that this city is the only city in the world that sits on the border between Europe and Asia! Istanbul, which was once known as Constantinople, was the center of the Byzantine Empire. But after it was conquered by the leaders of the Ottoman Empire, it became the center of that empire.
Why Istanbul? Well, it is a major port. It has a good natural harbor with easy access to the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, the city of Istanbul has been a trade center for many centuries. It was a natural place for the leaders of both the Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires. Many of the beautiful mosques and monuments in Istanbul were built during the time of the Ottoman Empire.
The palace of Topkapi Sarayi (see photo), which was built during the Ottoman Empire, is one of the most famous buildings from that time.
The Ottoman Empire was a Muslim Empire, and it brought that religion not only to our mystery country but also to much of Europe. In fact, many of the Christian nations of Europe fought with the Muslim rulers of the Ottoman Empire back and forth across the centuries.
The history of our mystery country was shaped by many different forces over the centuries. One of these was the Roman Empire. Another was the Ottoman Empire. Can you find our mystery country with these clues?
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