From the WebMD Archives. Sept. 10, 2010 -- If your grip is strong and youâre able to raise from a chair quickly, walk fast, and balance on one leg, chances are youâll live longer than people who have difficulty doing such things, says a study published in BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal.
The Ottoman empire at its height. In 1453, the great city of Constantinople finally fell to the Ottomans, and the remaining pockets of Byzantine territory soon followed. In the early 16th century, Ottoman expansion continued with the conquests of Syria and Egypt.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ottoman Empire was among the world's most powerful states, threatening the powers of eastern Europe with its steady advance through the Balkans. Its navy was a powerful force in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.he Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 cemented the status of the empire as the preeminent power in southeastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Over the next century, the empire would extend its influence into the heart of the Arab world and come to dominate southeast Europe.