Outline: How did religion and culture influence the Ottoman Empire?

                               Introduction: The background of the Ottoman Empire.                                                 – Brief overview of how religion and culture effected and changed the Ottoman Empire.

Paragraph 1: What was their religion about?                                                                              Point: The Ottoman Turks practiced Islam.                                                                               Evidence: The people who they had conquered practiced a wide variety of religious beliefs, including Christianity, Judaism, and other religions.                                                                Explanation: To keep peace, the Ottoman Turks allowed their subjects to worship in whatever manner they choose.

Paragraph 2: What was their social classes (society)?                                                                       Point:  people were divided into a number of castes or classes.                                                       Evidence: People were divided into classes based on their importance within the Empire.                                                                                                           Explanation: The highest class was made up of the Sultan, and his family and other top government officials. Below this class were the nobles, and the lowest and largest class were the peasants and farmers.

Paragraph 3: What was their culture?                                                                                                 Point: There was a strong influence from the customs, architecture (art) and languages of Islamic societies.                                                                                                                                           Evidence: The ottomans adapted and modified the cultures of conquered lands and their peoples.                                                                                      Explanation: They learned and took knowledge from the people they conquered; sometimes they adopt their culture as language, food, and clothing.

Paragraph 4: Architecture and art.                                                                                                        Point: Ottoman architecture was a made and created of Iranian influenced Seljuk architectural traditions.                                                                                                                                                    Evidence: Buildings of Konya, Mamluk architecture.                                                                          Explanation: Also the Byzantine architecture; it reached its greatest development in the large public buildings, such as mosques.

Paragraph 5: Carpet-weaving and textile arts.

Point: The art of carpet weaving was very important in the Ottoman Empire.                                    Evidence: Carpets have a great importance both as decorative furniture, rich in religious and other symbolism.                                                                                      Explanation: Turks used carpets and rugs not just on the floors of a room, but also as a hanging on walls and doorways, where they provided additional insulation. They were also commonly donated to mosques.

Paragraph 6: What was the economy?                                                                                                   Point: The Ottomans saw military expansion and taxes as the main source of wealth, with agriculture.                                                                                                                                               Evidence: Economy was more important than manufacture and commerce.                    Explanation: Western merchants gave more emphasis to manufacture and industry in the wealth-power-wealth equation, moving towards capitalist economics comprising expanding industries and markets whereas the Ottomans continued land holding and agriculture.

Conclusion: How did all these things effect and change the Ottomans Empire. What led to these effects and influence on the Ottomans Empire. How did religion and culture effect the Ottomans Empire. How is the Ottomans Empire today (Turkey). The summary and over all of the entire essay.