Shah Abbas I moves the Safavid capital to Isfahan and builds the Naqsh-e Jahan Square and other celebrated monuments.
Suleiman I rules the Ottoman Empire at the height of its territorial, legal and cultural power.
Selim I defeats the Mamluks, annexing Syria, Egypt and the Hejaz and making the Ottomans the leading power of the Muslim world.
Selim I's Ottoman army defeats the Safavids, opening a long rivalry between the two empires.
Ismail I proclaims himself shah in Tabriz, founding the Safavid dynasty and making Twelver Shia Islam Iran's state religion.
Nader Shah of Persia defeats the Mughals at Karnal and sacks Delhi, carrying off treasures including the Peacock Throne.
Ottoman forces under Sultan Mehmed II capture Constantinople, ending the Byzantine Empire.