 During the first half of the second millennium, the concept of Macedonia on the Balkans was associated by the Byzantines with their Macedonian province, centered around Edirne in modern-day Turkey.After the conquest of the Balkans by the Ottomans in the late 14th and early 15th century, the Greek name "Macedonia" disappeared as a geographical designation for several centuries.The background of the modern designation "Macedonian" can be found in the 19th century, as well as the myth of "ancient Macedonian descent" among the Orthodox Slavs in the area, adopted mainly due to Greek cultural inputs.