Travel literature is an important historical source. Through the writings of travellers we can have a glimpse of what was it like to visit those places at that time. We can have access to habits, customs and the routines of those countries. It is also important to take in consideration how these texts always reflect in one way or another the authors’ worldviews with their biases and prejudices -- these writings teaches us about their subjects and about their authors. That's why we must keep in mind this literature's historical context: in order to spot bias, prejudices etc. For example, many times travel literature written by western authors characterize Muslim people as irrational in order to distinguish from them as being more rational and civilized.
1. The Turkish Letters might help us understand what outsiders thought was interesting about the Empire that was challenging the italian city-states on the sea – during XVI and XVII Ottoman Empire became a naval force and greatly expanded it’s territory. Thus analyzing what Burbecq dedicated attention to – customs, politics, nature, culture – can help us discover what about the Ottoman Empire was more interesting to western politics, besides understanding through his diplomatic mission what was the position of the christians in front of this growing Empire. We also understand how a well educated man of the Renaissance like Burbecq was grasping the world.
2. The Ottoman Empire was expanding and until the Battle of Lepanto (1571), a battle between catholics and otomans which slowed ottoman expansion, it was threatening to invade more cities around the Mediterranean, having already conquered much of northern Africa. It had blocked main marine trade routes, forcing Spain to look for new routes. All of this was happening at the same time Europe faced religious revolts and wars between protestants and catholics, which made catholics feel like their faith were being challenged by heretics. Busbecq was a catholic man at this moment so we should not take his word at face value, always comparing it with other historical sources from the same period.
