In the eighteenth century, the Europeans became infatuated with all things 'Oriental' and 'Turkish'. At the same time, there was an increase in trade and diplomacy with the Ottoman empire.

Matters of Humanities: History of Islam in Europe
People are often surprised that the history of the Islam in Europe is so much more than a history of wars. It's also a story of diplomacy and trade, knowledge and arts, from Muslims living together with Christians and Europeans for centuries. Muslims and the Islam are not things that just 'happened' to Europe, they are part of Europe. In this podcast series, professor Maurits Berger talks about the history of the Islam in Europe: going back to the first Muslim who set foot in Europe, and seeing what kind of interactions have taken place between Muslims and Europeans since then.

Music
• Jordi Saval: 'Hisar Buselik Sarki' (Ottoman) • Jean-Baptiste Lully: 'Marche pour la Ceremonie Turque' (France) • Mozart: 'Rondo alla Turca' (Austria) • Beethoven: 'Turkish March' (Austria) • Giovanni Battista Donado: '2 Turkish love songs' (Venice) • Valentin Bakfark: 'Fantasia No.6' (Hungary) • Rossini: 'Che bel Turco!' (Italy) • Peter Cornelius: 'The Barber of Baghdad' (Germany) • Schubert / Goethe: 'Suleika I' (Germany)