Beginning in the fifteenth century, the vassal state of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) had continuous relations with the Ottoman capital, but it was not until the eighteenth century, however, that a permanent Ragusan consulate was established there. One unique characteristic in the careers of these eighteenth-century Ragusan consuls is the time they spent in North Africa before assuming their post in Istanbul. Sent to confirm trade deals, bolster their language skills, and gain experience in Ottoman administration these dragomen recorded the details about their trips in commissioni and correspondence. This paper focuses on the writings of Giorgio Zurrich who traveled throughout North Africa in the 1760s and was then appointed Ragusan consul in Istanbul from 1773-1783. As a case study, Zurrich’s commissioni and letters offer a way to explore the east-east channels of knowledge production across the Ottoman Mediterranean. In doing so, this paper argues that Zurrich’s experiences across North Africa were seen as critical training for his position in the Ottoman capital. The very act of sending dragomen to North Africa signals the importance placed on the Maghrib as an integral part of the Ottoman Empire by contemporary Ragusans. Furthermore, the commentaries and descriptions found in the diaries shed light on how Ragusans positioned themselves vis-à-vis what scholars still depict as another Ottoman periphery. The paper uses these two lenses to track the ways in which knowledge was produced and refined in North Africa and then brought to use in the imperial center vis-a-vis a European vassal state.