, ▁the ▁B alk ans , ▁Greece , ▁By z ant ium , ▁most ▁of ▁Egypt , ▁most ▁of ▁north ▁Africa , ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁Arab ia , ▁un ifying ▁them ▁under ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁The ▁rule ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁s ult ans ▁marked ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Med ieval ▁( Post class ical ) ▁Era ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁ ▁Early ▁Modern ▁Near ▁East ▁ ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁( 1 2 9 9 – 1 9 1 8 ) ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁a ▁new ▁power ▁had ▁ar isen ▁in ▁western ▁An atol ia , ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁Ott oman ▁k h ans , ▁who ▁in ▁ 1 4 5 3 ▁captured ▁the ▁Christian ▁By z antine ▁capit ol ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁and ▁made ▁themselves ▁s ult ans . ▁The ▁Mam lu ks ▁held ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁for ▁a ▁century , ▁but ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 4 ▁Sel im ▁the ▁Gr im ▁began ▁the ▁system atic ▁Ott oman ▁con quest ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁Sy ria ▁was ▁occupied ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 6 ▁and ▁Egypt ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 7 , ▁ex ting u ishing ▁the ▁Mam el uk ▁line . ▁Ira q ▁was ▁conquer ed ▁almost ▁in ▁ 4 0 ▁years ▁from ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁Saf av ids , ▁who ▁were ▁success ors ▁of ▁the ▁A q ▁Q oy un lu . ▁ ▁The ▁Ott om ans ▁un ited