Notes started by reading the Baroque Cycle:

• the Ottoman Empire was formed in 1283, began decline in 1683, finally defeated during World War I! It comprised Southwest Asia, North Africa and south-eastern Europe. Capital after 1483 was Constantinople/Istanbul.

• the [Jannis Ary]-s were the household troops of the sultan. Their population ranged from 100 to 200,000. Janissaries resisted attempts to reorganise the army and in 1622 killed sultan Osman [II] when he planned to replace them... In 1826 the Janissaries noticed that sultan was forming a new army. Some have suggested that sultan had incited them to revolt in purpose. On June 14 - 15 1826, janissaries in Istanbul revolted but this time most of the army and of the population at large turned against them.

• [Suleiman I] was sultan from 1520 to 1566.

• Algiers is the capital of [AlgerIa] (in North [AfrIca]).

  • for some period it was the main port of the [Barbary Corsair]-s (PiRate)

  • one section of it is the [CasBah]. Its main building was started in 1516.

    • More generally, kasbah denotes the walled citadel of many North African cities and towns. There is a [CasBah] in Rabat/Sale, the city (capital of Morocco) that is the focus of Pirate Utopias.

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