During Selim's reign, the Ottoman Empire saw an unprecedented and rapid expansion into the Middle East, particularly the conquest of the entire Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt on the early 16th century. These conquests further solidified the Ottoman claim of being an Islamic caliphate, although Ottoman sultans had been claiming the title of caliph since the reign of Murad I (1362–1389). The caliphate was officially transferred from the Mamluks to the Ottoman sultanate in 1517, whose members were recognized as caliphs until the office's abolition on 3 March 1924 by the Republic of Turkey (and the exile of the last caliph, Abdülmecid II, to France).
During Selim's reign the Ottoman Empire saw an unprecedented and rapid expansion into the Middle East particularly the conquest of the entire Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt on the early 16th century These conquests further solidified the Ottoman claim of being an Islamic caliphate although Ottoman sultans had been claiming the title of caliph since the reign of Murad I (1362–1389) The caliphate was officially transferred from the Mamluks to the Ottoman sultanate in 1517 whose members were recognized as caliphs until the office's abolition on 3 March 1924 by the Republic of Turkey (and the exile of the last caliph Abdülmecid II to France)