In 1504, the traveler Ludovico De Varthema, a native of Bologna, reached “the noble and exceedingly beautiful city of Hormuz.” Varthema was traveling in troubled times. The political landscape in the Near and Middle East changed profoundly at the beginning of the 16th century. The Ottomans conquered Syria and Egypt between 1516 and 1517. The Ottomans’ main rival in the east was Iran, where a new dynasty, the Safavids, established Shia as the dominant Islamic faith that remains to this day. European powers also played a role, especially Portugal. Just a few years after Varthema’s visit, between 1507 and 1515, Portugal secured possession of Hormuz.
