Ismail I proclaims himself shah in Tabriz, founding the Safavid dynasty and making Twelver Shia Islam Iran's state religion.
Selim I's Ottoman army defeats the Safavids, opening a long rivalry between the two empires.
Selim I defeats the Mamluks, annexing Syria, Egypt and the Hejaz and making the Ottomans the leading power of the Muslim world.
Suleiman I rules the Ottoman Empire at the height of its territorial, legal and cultural power.
Ottoman forces under Sultan Mehmed II capture Constantinople, ending the Byzantine Empire.
Admiral Zheng He leads seven Ming treasure voyages to Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, Arabia and East Africa.
Shah Abbas I moves the Safavid capital to Isfahan and builds the Naqsh-e Jahan Square and other celebrated monuments.