In the 16th century, political and economic engagements between Renaissance Europe and the Islamic world opened new pathways for cultural exchange. Trade, diplomacy and tourism vastly enhanced Europeans’ knowledge of Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal urban design and architectural practice. As travel narratives from the period attest, Europeans reported on the cities, gardens, and buildings with which they came into contact, often characterizing them as sites of social interaction. Some of the (...)