2. Sultan Selim III - Diplomatic Reforms and Opera at the Ottoman Court
In the eighteenth century, the age of Sultan Selim III (r.1789-1807) is simply a remarkable one. And certainly one closely related to opera and diplomacy. What makes him and his age noteworthy is firstly his reformist character which is embodied in his institution of essential military, diplomatic and social reforms; and secondly his affinity to arts and his own artistry.