Ogier Ghislain de Busbecq (1522-92) was the illegitimate son of a Flemish nobleman. Thanks to an excellent education at leading European universities, he was able to become a diplomat for the Habsburg monarchy. He served as Imperial Ambassador at the Sultan’s court in Constantinople (Istanbul) from 1554 until 1562, during which time he wrote his famous “Four Letters from Turkey,” which chronicled both the political system and everyday life in the Ottoman Empire. This woodcut was made by Melchior Lorck, who was himself an envoy to Constantinople at the time.