Kavisht
- Jan 23, 2023
- 5 min read

History of Turkey | Timeline Overview of Religion & Empires in Turkey

The history of Turkey is quite exciting. The historical events in the country include some famous Turkish warriors and Great Turkish leaders. From the Ottoman Empire’s history to the great Turkic empires, the country has witnessed many fascinating events. The history of Turkey is also quite exciting.

The history of Turkey started almost 4000 years ago. The history of Turkey covers almost 2 continents. The great Turkish leaders are the reason for the rich cultural legacy of Turkey. Turks first surfaced in Central Asia. They later spread in parts of Asia and Europe. They established many independent states and Turkic empires.

History of Turkey

The history of Turkey is also fascinating. Turkey is officially a secular country at present. However, the Islamic religion is persistent in the country. Turks that moved to Anatolia could be Tengrists, Christians, Jewish, or Muslim.

Minor sects like Yezidism were also present in Anatolia. Mizrahi Judaism group was also present. It is rather difficult to judge the history of Turkey. One can definitely say that the history of Turkey is vast and confusing.

Famous Turkish Warriors

The list of famous Turkish warriors is very long. The Ottoman army was a strong military structure. It was established by Mehmed II. The Ottoman warriors were known as Janissaries. The most powerful warrior in the Ottoman military was Suleyman the Magnificent.

The greatest soldier in Turkish history was Subidei. He conducted and won clear victories. Some experts also consider him to be the greatest soldier in the entire world. Mustafa Kemal Pasha was another very skilled and professional commander. Atilla the Hun, Mehmed the 2nd sultan, and Murad the 4th sultan are some of the famous Turkish Warriors.

Great Turkic Empires and the Great Turkish Leaders

There are 16 great Turkic Empires in the history of Turkey. Here is the list of the great Turkic Empires and their leaders.

Great Hunnic Empire

The great Hunnic Empire was established in 220 BC. Mete Han led the great Hunnic Empire and was one of the greatest Turkish leaders. The Turkish name for the great Hunnic Empire is “Büyük Hun İmparatorluğu”

Western Hunnic Empire

Panu was the leader of the western Hunnic Empire. The Turkish name for the western Hunnic Empire is “Batı Hun İmparatorluğu”. This is one of the greatest Turkic empires in the history of Turkey. The period for this empire was 48-216, according to the Gregorian Calendar.

European Hunnic Empire

The period for the European Hunnic Empire was 375-469, according to the Gregorian Calendar. Attila, a great Turkish leader, was the leader of the European Hunnic Empire. The Turkish name for the European Hunnic Empire is “Avrupa Hun İmparatorluğu”.

White Hunnic Empire

Aksunvar led this great Turkic Empire. The period of the White Hunnic Empire was 390-577, according to the Gregorian Calendar. Aksunvar was considered a great Turkish leader. The Turkish name for the empire is “Akhun İmparatorluğu”

Gokturk Empire

The Turkish name for this great Turkic empire is “Göktürk İmparatorluğu”. Bumin Kagan, a powerful Turkish leader, led the Gokturk Empire. The period for this particular empire was 552-745, according to the Gregorian calendar.

Avar Khaganate

Bayan Kagan led the Avar Khaganate Empire. It is one of the greatest Turkic empires. The period for the Avar Khaganate empire was 565-835. The Turkish name for the empire is “Avar İmparatorluğu”. Khazar Khaganate and Uyghur Khaganate were the later Turkic Empires. The leaders of both empires were famous Turkish leaders.

Kara-Khandis Empire

The Turkish name for the Kara-Khandis Empire is “Karahanlılar”. It is one of the great Turkic empires. Kul Bilge and Kadir Han led the Kara-Khandis Empire. The period of this empire was 840-1212.

Ghaznavids, The Great Seljuq empire, and Khwarazmids are the following great Turkic empires. The leader of these empires were famous Turkish leaders.

Golden Horde

Golden Horde is another great Turkic empire. Batu Han led the empire. He was a powerful Turkish leader. The Turkish name for the Golden Horde empire is “Altınordu Devleti”. The period for the Golden Horde empire was 1236-1502, according to the Gregorian calendar.

Timurid Empire

One of the most famous Turkic empires is the Timurid Empire. Timur led the empire, and he was a famous Turkish leader. The period of the empire was 1368-1501. The Turkish name for the Timurid Empire is “Büyük Timur İmparatorluğu”.

Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire was in the period 1526-1858 according to the Gregorian calendar. Babur Sah led the great Turkic empire. He was a powerful and famous Turkish leader. The Turkish name for the Mughal Empire is “Babür İmparatorluğu”.

Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire is the greatest Turkic empire in the history of Turkey. The empire lasted for almost 700 years. Osman Bey, a famous Turkish leader, led the Ottoman Empire. The period of the Ottoman Empire was 1299-1922. The Turkish name for the empire is “Osmanlı İmparatorluğu”.

The History of the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire’s history is very popular in the field of history. The Ottoman Empire was established in the 13th century. It was founded in northwestern Anatolia. Ottoman Empire conquered areas of conquered on areas of Africa, Asia, and Europe. The empire was economically strong. The Ottomans ruled for 700 years.

After the fall of the Byzantine empire, the Ottoman Empire started flourishing. The first sultan of the Ottoman empire was Usman. He was one of the great Turkish leaders. The empire conquered many areas under the rule of great Turkish leaders. Orhan, Murad I, and Bayezid are some of the sultans who ruled the Ottoman empire.

Mehmed VI was the last emperor to reign the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman Empire was considered to be the greatest Turkic empire. The Ottoman Empire reached its peak under the rule of Suleiman. Different art forms and literature were welcomed during this period. Suleiman had significant control over trade routes.

The Ottoman Empire ended in 1992. The empire was struggling for years in many aspects. They struggled to maintain a proper administrative structure, and the control of the empire declined.

Conclusion

Present-day Turkey is a Muslim-majority country. It is distinctive from other Islamic countries. Women have more liberty in this country as compared to other Islamic countries. Experts believe that Turkey will be the most economically powerful Islamic country.

The rich culture of Turkey depicts the greatness of Turkish leaders in the past. Turkey is the most progressing Islamic country. The country has a vast historical background. To all those history enthusiasts, the history of Turkey is very rich. You should definitely explore the history of Turkey. The great Turkic Empires and the famous Turkish leaders will inspire and fascinate you.