Hormuz Island

Hormuz Island, located in the strait of Hormuz, occupies an area of 42-sq.km,  linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. The name of Hormuz, also known as Ormoz, Hormuzia and Khormuzia, has various connotations. Some documents indicate that the name is derived from Ahura Mazda, while other references trace its origin to Khormuzia or Khormaq comprising of Khor, meaning harbor, and moq, meaning palm. On the other hand, some other evidences hold that as Ardeshir the Sassanid rebuilt this area, the name of his son was given to the island.
Its strategic location encouraged the various travelers to this island who have praised the abundance of merchants from all over the world from Egypt and Syria to Bengal and Maldives. Marcopolo visited Hormuz twice in 1272 and 1293 describing the town as a flourishing trade center. Ibn Batutta, the medieval Moroccan traveler, visited Hormuz in 1332 and 1347 and admired its busy market. After the recurrent attacks of Turks and Mongols, the merchants of old Hormuz city immigrated to the new city of Hormuz of which no traces have been left. The previously called new Hormuz is currently located about 60 km west of Old Hormuz. The remnants of old Hormuz sit 10km southwest of Minab.
Historically speaking, the most prominent event which occurred in Hormuz was it being attacked by the Portuguese in 1507. By killing many people, Afonso de Albuquerque turned this area to his own territory and started building forts which were left unfinished because of his forced leave in 1508. However, he came in 1515 and founded the Portuguese rule which lasted for more than a hundred years.
The Safavid Shah Ismail I took some minor measures against them, but he failed. Shah Abbas I started fighting with Portuguese by taking back Bahrain in 1516. Later, two events diminished the prosperity of the Portuguese: first the local uprising in 1521 and the Ottomans’ attack in 1552 and 1581. Shah Abbas occupied Gombron, currently known as Bandar-e-Abbas in 1614 by the attempts of his general, Allahverdi Khan. Later, Alah Verdi Khan’s son, Emam Gholi Khan took back Qeshm and Hormuz in 1622, From Shah Abbas I’s era onward, Hormuz lost its commercial prosperity. Again, after Nadir’s murder, Hormuz experienced a grave crisis and the island was leased to the rulers of Muscat and Oman between 1798 and 1868.
However, having 80 percent of the world’s oil export, Hormuz has still maintained its strategic position.  Hormuz is also the geologists’ paradise where they can discover a wide range of minerals. It also includes one of the most important salt domes of the world.