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between the Mongols and local rulers; in general, however, the region fell into decline. C ONFLICT OVER THE R EGION By the 15th century, a new power was rising in the Middle East— the Ottoman Turks. In 1453 the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, ending the 1,000-year history of the Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Turks were Sunni Muslims who were dedi- cated to the faith, but they also wanted to expand their own power throughout the region. By the early 16th century, the Ottomans were entending their empire into Syria, Egypt, and Arabia, and they turned their sights on Mesopotamia to the south. During the same period, the Safavid Empire had come to power in Persia to the east. The Safavid rulers declared Shia Islam to be the official religion of Persia, and they wanted to control Iraq in part because it contained the important Shiite shrines at An Najaf and Karbala. Fighting between the Ottomans and Safavids continued for more than a century. The Safavid armies conquered Mesopotamia in 1509, but the Ottomans took control of the region in 1535. The Safavids retook Baghdad in 1623, but lost the city to the Ottomans in 1638. The Ottoman Empire would maintain control over Mesopotamia until the early years of the 20th century. An Ottoman governor was placed in Baghdad, and important families were given positions in the Ottoman government. The Ottomans divided Mesopotamia into three provinces—a northern province governed from Mosul, a central province ruled from Baghdad, and a southern province con- trolled from Basra. Outside of these cities, however, the power of the Ottoman officials was limited. Instead, local tribal chiefs called sheikhs had the real authority in rural Mesopotamia. Although they paid taxes to the Ottomans, these sheikhs had a great deal of independence.