As a keen student of History, Turkey has always been special to me. Close to the cradle of civilization, and the seat of conquerors, Turkey has birthed a race of hardy adventurers, who have built mighty empires. In medieval times, the Seljuks carved out their kingdom, followed by the Ottomans, undoubtedly the most famous of the Turkish dynasties. Founded by Osman Bey, this empire lasted all of six centuries, encompassing three continents. At its peak, the House of Osman, came close to conquering Europe – the Gates of Vienna, before finally being driven back by King John Sobieski. Through the ages, the empire was a fountainhead of literary, cultural and artistic activities, influencing and being influenced by the East and the West. It had diplomatic relations with the Austro-Hungarian Hapsburgs, Safavid Persia, Mughal India, China and beyond. So vast and varied was this empire, that when it finally disintegrated over the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, culminating in the end of World War I, it gave birth to over twenty new nations – Greece, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and Turkey, to name a few.
Random Musings of a Wanderer 