Title: A STUDY ABOUT A CHURCH, BARRACKS, AND DEFENSE SYSTEMS IN THE PORTUGUESE FORTRESS AT HORMOZ ISLAND
Abstract: Ormuz was a strategic point on the trade routes between the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. There remains a Portuguese fortress in Ormuz Island, which Portuguese used as their stronghold between 1515 and 1622, when they advanced to Asia. Although this fortress played a historically important role, the availability of related literature is quite limited. In this article, based upon a consideration through survey results and collected documents, the author reports that the facilities which were conventionally regarded as a church and barracks must have been a cistern and caravan sarays, and that the defense systems pointed toward the direction opposite to the usual one.