Letters from Turkey were a genre of

letter collection A letter collection consists of a publication, usually a book, containing a compilation of letter (message), letters written by a real person. Unlike an epistolary novel, a letter collection belongs to non-fiction literature. As a publication, a l ...

written by Europeans who had been to

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. Usually, the letters were published with various titles, but they are popularly known as "Letters from Turkey" or "Turkish letters". Below is the summary of these.

Letters by Busbecq

Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq (1522 in Comines – 29 October 1592 in Saint-Germain-sous-Cailly; ), sometimes Augier Ghislain de Busbecq, was a 16th-century Flemish writer, herbalist and diplomat in the employ of three generations of Austri ...

(1522–1592) was a diplomat in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. He was sent to the Ottoman Empire to discuss the disputed territory of

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

(modern west

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

) in 1554. During his stay his addresses were

Rüstem Pasha Rüstem Pasha (; ; 1505 – 10 July 1561) was an Ottoman statesman who served as Grand Vizier to Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. Rüstem Pasha is also known as Damat Rüstem Pasha (the epithet ''damat'' meaning 'son-in-law') as a result of ...

and Semiz Ali Pasha both of which were

grand vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...

s. Upon returning to his country he published the letters he had written to his colleague Nicholas Michault under the title ''Turcicae epistolae''. Busbuecq is also known for his introduction of

tulip Tulips are spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes in the ''Tulipa'' genus. Their flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly coloured, generally red, orange, pink, yellow, or white. They often have a different colour ...

, from Turkish flora to Europe.

Letters by Montagu

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (née Pierrepont; 15 May 168921 August 1762) was an English aristocrat, medical pioneer, writer, and poet. Born in 1689, Lady Mary spent her early life in England. In 1712, Lady Mary married Edward Wortley Montagu, ...

(1689–1762) was the wife of Edward Wortley Montagu, the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

ambassador to Ottoman Empire between 1716-1718. The letters about her travels and observations about Ottoman life was published under the title ''

Turkish Embassy Letters The ''Turkish Embassy Letters'' are a letter collection of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's reflections on her travels through the Ottoman Empire between 1716 and 1718. She collected and revised them throughout her life, circulating the manuscripts a ...

''. One of her important observations was the primitive form of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

vaccination.

Letters by Mikes

Kelemen Mikes Kelemen Mikes (1690–1761) was a Transylvanian-born Hungarian political figure and essayist, noted for his rebellious activities against the Habsburg monarchy. Mikes is referred to as the "Hungarian Goethe", made famous by his '' Letters from ...

(1690–1761) was a Hungarian essayist, noted for his rebellious activities against the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

. Although backed by Ottoman Empire, Hungarian rebels were defeated and Mikes had to choose a life in exile. After 1715, Mikes spent the rest of his life in

Tekirdağ Tekirdağ () is a city in northwestern Turkey. It is located on the north coast of the Sea of Marmara, in the region of East Thrace. The city forms the urban part of the Süleymanpaşa district, with a population of 186,421 in 2022. Tekirdağ ...

, a city near to

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

. His work is known as ''Letters from Turkey''.

Letters by Moltke

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke (; 26 October 180024 April 1891) was a Kingdom of Prussia, Prussian Generalfeldmarschall, field marshal. The chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years, he is regarded as the creator of a new, more ...

(1800–1891) was an officier in Prussian army. He spent four years in the Ottoman Empire as a military advisor between 1835-1839. Upon returning to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, he published ''Letters on Conditions and Events in Turkey in the Years 1835 to 1839''.

Gallery

File:Ogier Ghislain de Busbecq AGE V25 1808.jpg, Busbecq File:Mary Wortley Montagu round.jpg, Montagu File:Mikes Kelemen olajkép.jpg, Mikes File:Field Marshal Count Helmuth von Moltke.jpg, Moltke

References