The Star and Crescent, though generally known as a symbol of Islam, are not genuinely Muslim or Islamic in origin. The Ottoman Empire, a prominent Muslim state that controlled over a large territory for a long time, used this emblem as an insignia. Because the Ottomans represented Islam to the Western world, they began to associate the Star and Crescent with Islam. These are thought to be celestial symbols that ancient Siberians and Central Asians used to worship the Sky Gods, the Sun, and the Moon.