364TLN 364: Ottomites,

The Ottoman empire was established by Osman I (1258-1324) in northern Anatolia at the end of the thirteenth century, and was later expanded by his successors to include all of Asia Minor and much of Southeastern Europe. The empire's expansion was halted for several decades after the invasion of Mongol ruler Tamerlane in 1402, events explored in Christopher Marlowe's play Tamburlaine the Great (c. 1587). The expansion later picked up again, culminating in the capture of Constantinople in 1453. The power and influence of the Ottoman empire peaked in the mid-sixteenth century under the leadership of Suleiman I (1494-1566).