The existence of the Ottoman Empire is usually calculated from 1299 to 1923. During this time, a unique imperial system was formed, in the history of the rise, prosperity and decline of which the patterns of existence of empires are visible. The peculiarity of the Ottoman Empire lies in the fact that its history intertwined the traditions of the ancient conglomerate empires of the East, the Byzantine Empire and the idea of the Islamic Caliphate. The Ottoman Empire ruled over more than 60 peoples and large tribal associations, which differed significantly from each other both in the level of socio-political development and in their ethno-confessional affiliation. The power and might of the Ottoman Porte sought to extend to the entire Mediterranean and, having subjugated it, create an empire that would have no equal since the time of Rome.