A2 LITERATURE- Othello

When Shakespeare was writing Othello, it's hard to imagine that he wasn't influenced by the visit to London of a delegation from Barbary in 1600/01, led by the Barbarian ambassador Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud. Apparently their dress and customs caused quite a stir in London at the time. Below is the official portrait of the ambassador from that visit - is this what Shakespeare imagined when he was creating his protagonist?

Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud ben Mohammed Anoun,
Moorish Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth (1600-1)