When was Turkey founded?

Naturally, Anatolia had a past before the Turks came along, but it wasn't until the Seljuk Turks settled there in the 11th century CE that the country was known as "Turkey." At the Battle of Manzikert, which took place on August 26, 1071, Alp Arslan's Seljuks triumphed over a confederation of Christian soldiers led by the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines were soundly defeated, and thus signalled the start of Turkish rule in Anatolia (The Asian portion of modern-day Turkiye).

The Intrusion of The Mongol Empire

However, the Seljuks did not reign for very long. Within 150 years, a fresh force emerged from a great distance to their east and advanced on Anatolia. Despite the fact that Genghis Khan never visited Turkey, his Mongols did. In the Battle of Kosedag, which took place on June 26, 1243, a Mongol force led by Genghis Khan's great-grandson Hulegu Khan overthrew the Seljuks, ending the Seljuk Empire.

Due to several rebellions by the Seljuk Sultan, the Mongols invaded central and eastern Anatolia occupying the region until 1335. Near Ankara, there existed an Ilkhanate garrison. In Turkiye, you may still witness remnants of the Mongol cultural legacy, such as the tombs of a Mongol governor and a Hulagu son.

The Mongolian Remains in Turkey!

The Ottoman Empire 1299 - 1923

The Ottoman Empire was centered in Turkey and eventually expanded into the Middle East and southern Europe. The Ottomans were strong and triumphed in the majority of the battles and conquests they engaged in, despite the best efforts of the Europeans to halt their progress into that region. In 1366, 1396, and 1444, the Europeans launched crusades, although they weren't very successful in fending against the Ottomans. On the Turkish continent, only Constantinople soon remained to technically belong to Europe.

When many formerly nomadic tribes in present-day Turkey settled down, Islam expanded quickly in this area. Janissaries, or soldiers, were captured Christians from conquered nations. They had to serve in the military undergoing Islamic religious training. This simply served to fortify the Ottoman Empire's military apparatus even further. As a result of the Ottomans' seizure and conquest of Constantinople in 1453 , the city's name was changed to Istanbul (The capital city). As the Byzantine Empire came to an end, many locals migrated to Europe, taking with them the region's distinctive blend of Greek, Christian, and Roman culture.