The 11th century saw the rise of the Seljuk Turks and they took over the then still borning Islamic Caliphate, and they were followed by the Ottomans.
WW I saw the end of the Ottomans and the final division of all their former holdings into tiny countries just all over the place.
The current Iranian ambition is to resurrect the Sassanid Empire AND take over all the former holdings of the Ottomans not otherwise owned by the Sassanids.
It's actually quite a bit bolder than a mere resurrection of the Ottomans. The only good part to it is that it would put the Shi'ites on top of things and this time they'd probably spend most their time trying to convert or destroy the Sunni.
The Ottoman Empire was the first nation to recognize American independence, and except for their utterly stupid decision to support Germany in WWI, they've been pretty much an American ally or fan all along. We are a long way away from them, and they are far from us, which is probably why America and Turkey have a fairly amicable record. We could use the Turks standing on top the Arabs and the Persians.
“The Ottoman Empire was the first nation to recognize American independence, and except for their utterly stupid decision to support Germany in WWI, they’ve been pretty much an American ally or fan all along.”
The Ottoman Empire is not a nation. While the Ottomans were recognizing American independence, they were wiping out villages across Sub-Saharan Africa for ivory, killing every single adult and taking children for harems and soldiers. Before that they were marauding Greek Islands, Vienna, N. Africa and Spain.
Imperialism left living Africans to tell their tale. Ottomans wiped out African cultures totally forgotten now.
After WW1, Gen. Kemel Attaturk transformed Turkey, banning polygamy, the veil, barriers to women in universities & CHANGING THE ALPHABET TO WESTERN. That is why they prosper without oil.
I did see something about the Ottoman Empire, and they where much more different than the Caliphates. I think the Congressmen means that a Super Caliphate is being created and that is my gut feeling..