Osman I (1258-1356): Regarded as the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Osman and his gazis (Muslim frontier warriors) waged a long and stubborn campaign against the Byzantines. His greatest conquest was Bursa.
Mehmed II (1432-1481): Considered a great military leader, and termed "The Conqueror," his greatest achievement was the capture of Constantinople in 1453, where he established his capital under the name Istanbul. He also brought in territories in Anatolia and the Balkans, which comprised the Ottoman heartland for the next four centuries.
Selim I (1479-1520): Called "The Grim," he extended the empire's control to Syria, Palestine and Egypt. In 1517, he received the keys to the holy city of Mecca, symbolic that the Ottomans were now the leaders of the Muslim world.
Suleyman I (1494-1566): Known in the Western world as "The Magnificent" and by his own people as "The Lawgiver." He was the 10th ruler of the Ottoman Empire during a time when it was the richest and most powerful in Europe and the Middle East. He led armies into Hungary and sieged Vienna. He also invaded Persia and captured Baghdad. He was also known for his poetry and patronage of the arts.
Selim II (1524-1574): Called "The Blond" and "The Sot," he was the son of Suleyman but lacked his father's talents and abilities. He turned most administrative duties over to his Grand Vizier. Most historians see the seeds of the decline of the Empire planted during his sultanate.
Muhammad Kuprili (1570-1661): As Grand Vizier, tried to halt the general decline of the empire by rooting out corruption. He also tried to revive the Muslim practice of conquest. Unfortunately for the empire, this expansionist policy, which continued after his death, led to numerous defeats at the hands of growing European powers and a steady contraction of Ottoman borders.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938): Ottoman rule officially came to an end in 1922, when Turkey was declared a republic under his leadership. In 1924, Mustafa Kemal abolished the caliphate and began a program of sweeping reform and Westernization that saw the first secularization of an Islam state.