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By 732, the Islamic empire stretched from the borders of India, through Persia and the Middle East, along the north coast of Africa, and into Spain.
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The great world religion of Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)By his death in AD632, Islam was the religion of all of Arabia.
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In the 11th century, the Seljuk Turks advanced further. They defeated the Byzantine army at the Battle of Manzikert (1071) and gradually conquered Asia Minor, which is modern-day Turkey.
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In 1453, they captured Constantinople, which was the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
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The Turks believed in a prophecy called Osman's dream, about a tree which grew until it covered the whole world. This gave them confidence that they would win a world-wide empire.
