This paper will explore the ways in which the early-modern Ottoman Empire understood aging. Exploring the life stages with an emphasis on the ways in which childhood, and youth were constructed and understood. In western European history Philippe Aires controversial argument about the non-existence of childhood prior to the 17th century has been discredited. This, regrettably, has not been made manifestly clear in the pre-modern Ottoman Empire. The history of childhood remains largely unexplored in this period, which this paper also seeks to address. By drawing on advice literature, legal opinions, poetry, and other sources I argue that the Ottomans had fairly a fairly stable sense understanding of aging. General going from childhood, youth, adulthood, and lastly senility. The Ottoman Empire had a rich body of material to draw from in demarcating its life stages in the period from 1500-1720. From Medical Treatises under the influence of Ibn Sina and his Qanun, to Advice texts such as The Qabusname, or the Ahlak-? Ala'i. There was a clear understanding of childhood and youth as being periods of growth and exploration in need of outside mentoring. Youth and its mental and physical developments was understood as terminating fairly late, at around thirty, with real “adulthood” not starting till this period or even later at forty. There was more to this than biological processes however, experience, and social norms also contributed to the life stages. Ideally speaking, one was to move from a carefree and “hedonistic” mode of living to a more subdued old age, concerned with social mores, family matters, and religion. The Ottomans though had a multiplicity of genres to draw on, and different texts demarcate these stages in various ways, for example the Garibname only has three life stages, childhood, youth, and old age, but a similar concern with moral and physical development. What unites the works to be discussed in addition to chronology is that all the arguments of the authors are derived from Greek thought, the three part division from Aristotle, the four from Galens etc, and a keen concern for ones social and physical development over these stages, and educating the reader to there purposes and ends. Childhood and youth were malleable stages integral to ones adult life. Education, and experiencing the world were elements that were stressed, as well as preparing the individual for old age and death.