TRENDEFRAtlas of the Sultans · Glossary
Term · Sovereignty and central government
Also known as: Hilâfet
The institution of headship of the Islamic state after the Prophet Muhammad; its holder is called the caliph.
After the fall of the Mamluks in 1517 the Ottoman sultans became the protectors of Mecca and Medina. The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774) is regarded as the turning point in the sultans' emphasis on the caliphate: through it a European power also recognised the sultan's religious authority over Muslims. The caliphate was abolished by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on 3 March 1924.
Open the map in 1517Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, article “HİLÂFET” (in Turkish); text condensed for the atlas.