Skip to content
Maps of History Start free

Historical map · 1453

Map of the Middle East in 1453

In 1453, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 29 states, empires and other polities in the Middle East. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire, the Timurid Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate. The Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire reached well beyond the Middle East: its whole territory measured about 4.7 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the Middle East in 1453. Zoom in, move the year slider to watch the borders change, or ask the history guide a question and it draws the answer on the map.

OPEN 1453 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1453

States and empires in the Middle East in 1453

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire Wikipedia2.7 million km²4.7 million km²1375–1467
Timurid Empire Wikipedia2.2 million km²3.7 million km²1375–1506
Mamluk Sultanate Wikipedia1.4 million km²1.5 million km²1241–1518
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia488,000 km²568,000 km²1305–1923
Rasulid Dynasty Wikipedia379,000 km²379,000 km²1236–1458
Aq Qoyunlu Wikipedia233,000 km²233,000 km²1407–1511
Makuria Kingdom Wikipedia213,000 km²213,000 km²347–1518
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia202,000 km²394,000 km²1272–1935
Kingdom of Georgia Wikipedia127,000 km²128,000 km²1010–1802
Nogai Horde Wikipedia127,000 km²702,000 km²1450–1737
Alodia Wikipedia124,000 km²124,000 km²347–1506
Adal Sultanate Wikipedia101,000 km²150,000 km²1415–1578
Beylik of Karaman Wikipedia100,000 km²100,000 km²1305–1467
Mahdids Wikipedia85,000 km²85,000 km²1169–1506
Bahrani Dynasty Wikipedia71,000 km²71,000 km²1260–1520
Beylik of Isfendiyar Wikipedia49,000 km²49,000 km²1305–1462
Shirvan Wikipedia47,000 km²47,000 km²825–1539
Beylik of Dulkadir Wikipedia30,000 km²30,000 km²1344–1515
Empire of Trebizond Wikipedia27,000 km²27,000 km²1206–1462
Ramadanid Emirate Wikipedia24,000 km²24,000 km²1385–1515
Byzantine Empire Wikipedia17,000 km²24,000 km²633–1474
Kingdom of Cyprus Wikipedia13,000 km²13,000 km²1192–1491
Republic of Venice Wikipedia11,000 km²53,000 km²705–1796
Crown of Aragon Wikipedia8,040 km²243,000 km²1169–1515
Principality of Wallachia Wikipedia7,400 km²74,000 km²1314–1858
Republic of Genoa Wikipedia5,370 km²26,000 km²1010–1795
Serbian Empire Wikipedia5,200 km²70,000 km²1352–1458
Republic of Florence Wikipedia2,050 km²14,000 km²1260–1737
Despotate of Epirus Wikipedia300 km²8,640 km²1206–1481

"In the data" gives the first and last year the dataset draws the state under this identity; states often existed earlier or later in another form.

What changed since 1444

New on the map: Nogai Horde.

What comes next: 1492

Appear by 1492: Tahirid Sultanate, Kazakh Khanate, Samtskhe-Saatabago, Kingdom of Kakheti, Principality of Mingrelia, Kingdom of Imereti, Principality of Abkhazia, Principality of Guria, Astrakhan Khanate.

Gone by 1492: Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire, Rasulid Dynasty, Beylik of Karaman, Beylik of Isfendiyar, Empire of Trebizond, Byzantine Empire, Kingdom of Cyprus, Crown of Aragon, Serbian Empire, Republic of Florence, Despotate of Epirus.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in the Middle East in 1453?

The map data draws 29 states and other polities in the Middle East in 1453. The largest by land were the Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire, the Timurid Empire, the Mamluk Sultanate, the Ottoman Empire and the Rasulid Dynasty.

What was the largest empire in the Middle East in 1453?

Of the states on this map, the Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire held the most land in total: about 4.7 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore the Middle East in 1453 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1453, zoom into any region, move through the years, and ask the history guide questions: it answers in plain words and draws places, armies and borders on the map.

About these borders

The borders come from Cliopatria (v0.2.1, Seshat Global History Databank, CC BY 4.0), the dataset behind our interactive map, with our audited name and border corrections. It records each state's territory year by year from 3400 BC to 2024. Borders before modern surveys are reconstructions: the data draws a state where it held control, and frontier zones, nomadic realms and loose overlordships are approximate. Areas are measured on an equal-area projection. Read how we make our maps.

Middle East in other years

Other regions in 1453