An interesting historical overview: which countries were controlled by the Ottoman Empire and for how long. Looking at the scale of its influence, it becomes clear why this empire is considered one of the most significant in world history.

In Europe, the Ottoman Empire maintained a fairly strong grip. Turkey was under its control for 623 years — the longest period. Bulgaria was under Ottoman rule for 515 years, North Macedonia for 542 years. Greece is interesting because the period varied from 370 to 520 years in different regions. Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina — all experienced centuries of Ottoman influence, approximately 400 to 420 years each. Albania was under Ottoman rule for a total of 527 years.

In the Caucasus, the situation was somewhat different. Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan — here, the periods were shorter, although the Caucasus regions of Russia, Кабардай, and other parts of the Caucasus (, still remained under control for 355 years.

In the Middle East, the picture is more uniform. Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon — almost all these territories were under Ottoman rule for about 400 years. Saudi Arabia, Hejaz, Najd, Al-Ahsa — here, the control lasted approximately 393 years. Yemen was less — only 146 years in two periods.

In Africa, Egypt and Sudan — 365-397 years. Libya 382 years, Algeria 315 years, Tunisia about 307-330 years. Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia — all experienced prolonged Ottoman presence, from 300 to 360 years.

So when talking about the countries of the Ottoman Empire, it’s important to remember the scale of this influence — from Europe to Africa, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. It was truly a global power of its time.