Article 10: Darulhuffaz of Nasuh Bey: A Religious School in Konya, Turkey, During the Era of Karamanid Dynasty (1256–1483) and Ottoman Empire (1299–1922)

The Ottoman Empire was one of the most distinguished civilizations in history. Beginning in 1299 with the establishment of the empire by Osman Bey, at its height, the Ottoman Empire ruled forty percent of today’s world population and an area today ruled by seventy six nations (Mumcu 2004). During the peak of its strength, the empire covered more than 2,000,000 square miles. The empire survived until its demise in 1922 when The Turkish Great National Assembly disbanded it. Throughout its history, education was valued by the rulers. The first madrasah (the main institution for education in the Ottoman Empire) was established in Iznik in 1331 (Akyüz 2007).