TIMELINE | | TURKEY
 
Date Country | Description
 537 A.D. Turkey  
  The church of Haghia Sophia in Constantinople is opened on 27 December by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I having been rebuilt after its destruction in Nika Riot (532).
 565 A.D. Turkey  
  Emperor Justinian I dies on 13/14 November. He was famous for his successful military campaigns and also for his reform of the legal code. He was also known as ‘the last Roman Emperor’.
 627 A.D. Turkey  
  The victory of the Byzantine army over the Persian army in the Battle of Nineveh on 12 December, which breaks the power of the Sassanid dynasty.
 674 - 678 A.D. Turkey  
  Siege of Constantinople by the Muslim Arabs.
 717 - 720 A.D. Turkey  
  Second siege of Constantinople by the Muslim Arabs.
 730 A.D. Turkey  
  The first period of Iconoclasm begins when Byzantine Emperor Leo III forbids the worship of religious images.
Empress Irene, who took power as regent for his son, Constantine VI (780–97), brought this period to an end with a council held in Nicea in 787 in favour of icon worship.
 842 A.D. Turkey  
  The ‘Triumph of Orthodoxy’ that marks the end of the second Iconoclastic Period (814–42) in the Byzantine Empire. Theodora, the regent for her son Michael III, orders the restoration of the icons.
 867 A.D. Turkey  
  Varangians attack Constantinople, the Byzantine capital.
 920 - 950 A.D. Turkey  
  Conversion of Oghuz Turks to Islam.
 976 A.D. Turkey  
  Basil II, also known as Bulgar-Slayer, ascends the throne of the Byzantine Empire.
 1037 A.D. Turkey  
  Great Seljuk Empire is founded by Tughril Beg.
 1071 A.D. Turkey  
  Victory of the Great Seljuqs over the Byzantine army at Manzikert.
 1075 A.D. Turkey  
  Foundation of the Anatolian Seljuqs (1077–1308).
 1080 A.D. Turkey  
  Süleyman Bey, conquering Iznik, declares it the capital of the Anatolian Seljuqs.
 1096 A.D. Turkey  
  The First Crusaders on their way to the Holy Lands arrive in Constantinople in December.
 1100 A.D. Turkey  
  Kılıç Arslan moves the capital of the Anatolian Seljuqs to Konya after being defeated by the Crusaders.
 1147 A.D. Turkey  
  The Second Crusades arrive in Anatolia on the way to the Holy Lands.
 1190 A.D. Turkey  
  The death of Frederick Barbarossa in the river of Calycadmus.
 1204 A.D. Turkey  
  Capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusaders; Nicea becomes the new capital of the Byzantine Empire.
 1225 A.D. Turkey  
  Anatolian Seljuq Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad marries the daughter of the Ayyubid Sultan al-Malik Adil.
 1229 A.D. Turkey  
  A trade treaty is signed between Anatolian Seljuqs and the Venetians.
 1243 A.D. Turkey  
  The Battle of Kösedağ and the invasion of Anatolia by the Mongols.
 1273 A.D. Turkey  
  The death of poet Mevlana Rumi (born in Belh, Afghanistan, (1207?).
 1277 A.D. Turkey  
  On 13 May Karamanoğlu Mehmed Bey declares that only the Turkish language is to be used for daily and official use.
 1299 A.D. Turkey  
  The foundation of the Ottoman Empire.
 1326 A.D. Turkey  
  Orhan Gazi captures Bursa, which becomes the second Ottoman capital after Söğüt.
 1361 A.D. Turkey  
  Murad I captures Edirne (Adrianople). As the third Ottoman capital, Edirne now becomes the headquarters for the further expansion.
 1402 A.D. Turkey  
  The Battle of Ankara between Tamerlane and Bayezid and the start of the Interregnum (Fetret) Period.
 1453 A.D. Turkey  
  The conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) by Mehmed II which brings the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) to an end.
 1478 A.D. Turkey  
  The first golden coin is minted by Mehmet II.
 1492 A.D. Turkey  
  The Jews thrown out of Spain are under the Ottoman protection.
 1514 A.D. Turkey  
  Victory of Selim I the Grim over Shah Ismail at the Battle of Çaldıran.
 1517 A.D. Turkey  
  Conquest of Cairo by Selim I the Grim.
 1520 A.D. Turkey  
  Sulayman the Magnificent takes the throne.
 1529 A.D. Turkey  
  First siege of Vienna by the Ottoman Army.
 1538 A.D. Turkey  
  The naval battle of Preveza off the Adriatic coast. Barbarossa defeats Genoese admiral Andrea Doria.
 1566 A.D. Turkey  
  Sulayman the Magnificent dies on his last expedition to the fort of Szigetvar on the Hungarian border and Selim II ascends the throne.
 1588 A.D. Turkey  
  The death of Sinan, the master architect of the Ottoman Empire.
 1595 A.D. Turkey  
  The first Western musical instrument in the Ottoman Palace: .an organ sent by Elizabeth I of England to Mehmet III.
 1611 A.D. Turkey  
  Famous Turkish traveller Evliya Çelebi (1611–82) was born in Istanbul.
 1657 A.D. Turkey  
  Death of Katip Çelebi (1609–57), famous Turkish geographer, historian and bibliographer.
 1683 A.D. Turkey  
  The failure of the second siege of Vienna of the Ottoman Army.
 1718 A.D. Turkey  
  Tulip Period starts (1718–30).
 1721 A.D. Turkey  
  Çelebi Mehmed goes to France as ambassador.
 1789 A.D. Turkey  
  Selim III, a dedicated reformer, ascends the throne in the same year as the French Revolution.
 1792 A.D. Turkey  
  The start of the new army Nizam-ı Cedid (New Order) by Selim III.
 1793 A.D. Turkey  
  First regular Ottoman ambassador in Europe (London).
 1826 A.D. Turkey  
  Massacre of the Janissaries by Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II.
 1828 A.D. Turkey  
  The fez is introduced, along with judicial, military and administrative reforms on more Western models in the Ottoman Empire.
 1839 A.D. Turkey  
  Tanzimat Firman (Reform) declared.
 1856 A.D. Turkey  
  The declaration of Firman of Islahat (Reform).
 1875 A.D. Turkey  
  Ottoman Empire declares bankruptcy. Balkan uprisings.
 1876 A.D. Turkey  
  The short-lived First Constitutional Period.
 1877 A.D. Turkey  
  The first parliament (Meclis-i Mebusan) is established.
 1881 A.D. Turkey  
  Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is born in Salonika.
 1908 A.D. Turkey  
  The Young Turks Revolution overthrows Sultan Abdulhamid II. The Second Constitutional Period begins.
 1909 A.D. Turkey  
  Muslim counter-revolution is thwarted. The sultan is deposed and constitutional monarchy is declared.
 1914 A.D. Turkey  
  Ottoman Empire enters World War I on the German side.
 1919 - 1922 A.D. Turkey  
  The War of Independence culminates in the creation of the modern Republic of Turkey in 1923.
 1922 A.D. Turkey  
  Deposition and exile of the last sultan, Mehmed Vahiduddin.