The City of the World's Desire: Philip II's Ottoman Alliance

In the late sixteenth century, the Ottoman Empire and Elizabethan England forged an unlikely alliance that reshaped Mediterranean politics and commerce. This episode follows the twists of that relationship, from the Anglo-Ottoman trade treaties of the 1580s to the diplomatic missions of William Harborne and the famous letter from Elizabeth I to Murad III. We explore how the two powers, both pariahs in Catholic Europe, found common ground against Habsburg Spain, and how the Ottomans' interest in English tin and wool was matched by England's hunger for Ottoman markets. Along the way, we touch on the Sultan's curious affinity for the Protestant cause, the role of the diplomatic envoy and interpreter, and the long shadow this connection cast on the empire's later dealings with the West. Drawing on the letters and reports of the time, Lucas and Luna discuss what this odd-couple alliance tells us about the early modern world's shifting balances, and how it set a precedent for the Anglo-Ottoman encounters that would culminate in the Tanzimat reforms. A story of pragmatism, diplomacy, and surprising mutual respect.

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