Title: Recommended by the Ottoman Empire: Bosnian Merchants between Sarajevo and Venice
Abstract: RECOMMENDED BY THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE: BOSNIAN MERCHANTS BETWEEN SARAJEVO AND VENICE The aim of this paper is to indicate the importance of the Venetian-Ottoman correspondence that can largely help better understand trade between Venice and the Ottoman Empire. The letters that Ottoman officials were sending to Venetian representatives of authorities can not only outline problems that merchants faced and the ways they were resolved, but also show how diplomatic relations influenced their work. Ottoman representatives in the Eyalet of Bosnia tried to mediate between Bosnian merchants and Venetian officials in different situations via correspondence. When issuing recommendations for the performance of trade or intervening in order to resolve a legal issue, in their addresses Ottoman officials would always refer to the maintenance of friendly relations as the main reason for the fulfillment of a request. Keywords: merchants, Bosnia, Sarajevo, Venice, letters, correspondence, trade