Without trading with the Islamic world, especially in Pepper, Venice couldn't have afforded all those painters, nor would they have had money to pay for the incredibly fancy clothes they put on to pose for their fancy portraits. The clothes, the paint, the painters, enough food to get a double chin, all of that was paid for with money from trade with the Ottomans. I know I talk a lot about trade, but that's because it's so incredibly awesome, and it really does bind the world together. And while trade can lead to conflicts, on balance, it has been responsible for more peaceful contacts than violent ones, because, you know, death is bad for business. This was certainly the case in the Eastern Mediterranean, where the periods of trade-based diplomacy were longer and more frequent than periods of war, even though all we ever talk about is war, because it's very dramatic, which is why my brother Hank's favorite video game is called Assassin's Creed, not Some Venetian Guys Negotiate a Trade Treaty. Thanks, Thought Bubble. So here's another example of non-Europeans supporting the Renaissance.