The Byzantine Empire

Roman Empire and Byzantium

• Constantinople became the capital of the Greek Eastern part of the Roman Empire.
• The section in the west of the Roman Empire was called the Latin Western Empire.
• Byzantium was strategically located for trade and military purposes due to its proximity to the Bosphorus Strait, connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.
• Emperor Constantine became a Christian and encouraged the spread of Christianity in Byzantium.

Byzantine Empire

• The official religion of the Byzantine Empire was Christianity.
• The word Byzantium refers to the Greek Eastern Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire.
• The Roman Empire split in two in the 4th century.
• The Latin Western Empire ceased to exist in 476.
• The old Greek city of Byzantium was renamed Constantinople.
• The capital of the Byzantine Empire was Constantinople.

Islam and the Ottoman Empire

• Islam is the religion founded by Muhammad in Arabia.
• The Arabs conquered Egypt and Syria in the 7th century.
• The Church of Hagia Sophia was built in Constantinople between A.D. 532 and 537.
• The Ottoman Empire captured Constantinople in 1453.
• The Arabic name for God is Allah.
• The Byzantine Empire was known for its art and architecture during this period.

Ottoman Empire Expansion

• The Ottoman Empire extended from Spain to India by the eighth century.
• The new Muslim Empire established by the Ottomans was called the Ottoman Empire.
• The largest Christian church, Hagia Sophia, was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans.
• Suleiman the Magnificent expanded the Ottoman Empire to include Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa during his reign.
• Suleiman the Magnificent was known for his military conquests and administrative reforms.

Islamic Conquests

• Muhammad escaped from Mecca to live in Medina in 622.
• The Muslims conquered Egypt after defeating the Byzantines at Heliopolis in 640.
• Charles Martel defeated the Muslims at the Battle of Tours in 732.
• The Moors established a kingdom in Spain.
• The Moors played a significant role in the future of Europe, introducing Islamic knowledge, art, and architecture.

Islamic Achievements

• Muslims valued and expanded on Greek knowledge, particularly in mathematics, astronomy, and medicine.
• The term "algorithm" originated from the Muslim mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi.
• Muslims developed navigational instruments, including the astrolabe, which was used for navigation and astronomy.