Who were the Ottomans? Why have they been so neglected in the traditional Western approach to history? What precisely was their influence on the fabled events of the sixteenth century? In this episode of Travels Through Time, the historian Alan Mikhail takes us back to the monumental events of the year 1517 to find out.

We look at the conquest of Cairo, the start of the Reformation and the arrival of the Europeans in Mexico. Everywhere, the influence of the Ottomans was felt. In particular, Mikhail tells us about the life of Sultan Selim I.

The subject matter and scenes that feature in this episode come from Alan Mikhail's new book, God’s Shadow: The Ottoman Sultan Who Shaped the Modern World.

Alan Mikhail is Professor of History and Chair of the Department of History at Yale University.

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Show notes

Scene One: February 1517, Ottoman Sultan Selim captures Cairo

Scene Two: October 1517, Wittenberg, Germany. Disaffected Professor of Theology Martin Luther writes the 95 Theses

Scene Three: Early 1517, The first Europeans land on the coast of Mexico

Memento: The Map of Piri Reis

People

Presenter: Peter Moore

Interview: Violet Moller

Guest: Professor Alan Mikhail

Production: Maria Nolan

Podcast partner: Colorgraph

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