▁mid - 1 1 th ▁century ▁with ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁Sel ju q ▁dynast y . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁a ▁new ▁wave ▁of ▁inv aders , ▁the ▁arm ies ▁of ▁the ▁Mong ol ▁Empire , ▁mainly ▁Turk ic , ▁swe pt ▁through ▁the ▁region . ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁a ▁new ▁power ▁had ▁ar isen ▁in ▁western ▁An atol ia , ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁em irs , ▁lingu ist ically ▁Turk ic ▁and ▁religious ly ▁Islam ic , ▁who ▁in ▁ 1 4 5 3 ▁captured ▁the ▁Christian ▁By z antine ▁capital ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁and ▁made ▁themselves ▁s ult ans . ▁ ▁Lar ge ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁became ▁a ▁war ground ▁between ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁and ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁Saf avid ▁dynast y ▁for ▁centuries , ▁starting ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 6 th ▁century . ▁By ▁ 1 7 0 0 , ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁had ▁been ▁driven ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Hung ary ▁and ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁power ▁along ▁the ▁front ier ▁had ▁shift ed ▁decis ively ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁world . ▁The ▁British ▁Empire ▁also ▁established ▁effective ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf , ▁and ▁the ▁French ▁colonial ▁emp ire ▁extended ▁its ▁influence ▁into ▁Leb anon ▁and ▁Sy ria . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Italy ▁seized ▁Lib ya ▁and ▁the ▁D ode can ese ▁islands , ▁just ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁the ▁Ott