A new essay is now available Images of Hormuz
The 17th Century map indicates the bell shaped island of Hormuz (‘Ormus’) at the
Strait of Hormuz, the islands of ‘Larequa, Queixome’ and ‘Anga’ with
sketches of the various fortifications including ‘Feitoriados Igrezes’ and
‘Comoram’ on the Persian mainland. To the left of the map, with north lying to
the right, is a rugged brown depiction of the Musandam Peninsula with six outlying
islands, one named ‘Ascalimas’ and the other ‘Cabodemo·Nsandam’.
A plate in Braun-Hogenberg's Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Cologne 1577, gives a
stylised view of Hormuz. The town and the wind towers are prominent but there does not
appear to be any indication of the fort.
Hormuz as pictured by Correia, Lendas da India (reproduced in Cortesao e Mato,
Portugaliae)
Elevation of the old town of Hormuz drawn by A W Stiffe
showing the fort on the right and the minaret to the left
Bird's eye view of Hormuz island from Astley's collection
Map of Hormuz island from the survey by A W Stiffe
Map of Hormuz by Petrus Bertius 1602