Strait of Hormuz: A History

Today the Strait of Hormuz is famous as a global chokepoint: a narrow passageway that carries over one fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies.

But the Strait region boasts a civilisation over five millennia old, intertwined with the fates of great empires, and a home for diverse cultures and peoples. First it was Mazan, a vital foothold for the Nestorian Church. After the advent of Islam, the Strait became a hotbed for heretics and rebels. By the early modern age, it became the fabulously wealthy Kingdom of Hormuz, connecting the trade routes of the Silk Road and the Indian Ocean. Now it retains its status as one of the world’s most vital waterways, but its rich history, at the crossroads of cultures and empires, has been obscured.