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What was the Ottoman Empire?
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What was the Ottoman Empire?

In 1453 cannon fire ended the Middle Ages in Constantinople. For 600 years the Ottomans ruled the bridge between Europe and Asia — and taxed everything crossing it.

The short answer

One empire sat astride the world’s most valuable real estate — the straits between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the land bridge between Europe and Asia — and made a six-century career out of charging rent on geography.

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In 1453 cannon fire ended the Middle Ages in Constantinople. For 600 years the Ottomans ruled the bridge between Europe and Asia — and taxed everything crossing…

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