= Ottoman Eyalets = The Ottoman Empire was divided into '''eyalets''' (''ایالت'', literally "states") led by '''beylerbeys''' (''بكلربكی'', literally "bey of beys"). Sometimes eyalets were called ''beylerbeyliks'' instead. Note that pasha (''پاشا'', alternatively ''basha'' or ''paşa'') was a military honor rather than an administrative title, but pasha who also were beylerbeys sometimes referred to their realms as ''pashaliks''. Eyalets were subdivided into '''sanjak''' (''سنجاق'', literally "flag") led by '''sanjak-beys''' (''سنجاق بك'', alternatively ''sanjaq-'' or ''-beg''). <> ---- == Rumelia == The most powerful eyalet was '''Rumelia''', encompassing all European lands of the empire. (Essentially the Balkans.) Until the capture of [[Turkey/Istanbul|Constantinople]], [[Turkey/Edirne|Adrianople]] served as the capital of both Rumelia and the empire. Rumelia was reformed into the [[WorldHistory/OttomanEmpire/Vilayets#Salonica|vilayet of Salonica]] in 1867. ---- CategoryRicottone