8-9 September 2007
Freer & Sackler Galleries, Independence Avenue, Washington DC

On the 500th anniversary of Afonso de Albuquerque's attempts to take Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, this conference will focus on the contacts of the Portuguese with Safavid Persia and various aspects of their activities in the Persian Gulf basin.

Al-Jalali Fort, Muscat, Oman. Image courtesy of the Ministry
of Heritage and Culture, Sultanate of Oman.

Organised by

Iran Heritage Foundation and the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

Supported by

Julius Baer (Middle East) Ltd., and Targetfollow Group Limited

Convenors

Prof. Jorge Flores and Prof. Rudi Matthee.

Conference committee

Prof. Jorge Flores, Dr. Ann Gunter and Prof. Rudi Matthee.

Introduction

This year we are witnessing the 500th anniversary of contacts and relations between Portugal and the Persian Gulf region, most notably Safavid Persia, which began with the attempts by Afonso de Albuquerque to take Hormuz in 1507. As part of an exploration of the wider contacts of Portugal with Asia, Africa and South America, the Freer and Sackler Galleries (Smithsonian Institution) in Washington DC will commemorate this important historical moment with a series of exhibitions in the summer of 2007 entitled 'Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World from the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries.'

This quincentennial is also the occasion for a conference on Portuguese relations with the Persian Gulf and Safavid Persia between 1500 and 1700. The meeting is scheduled to take place on 8-9 September 2007 at the Freer and Sackler Galleries, coinciding with the last week of the exhibitions.

The meeting aims to examine various aspects of the activities of the Portuguese in the Persian Gulf basin and their interaction with other forces and powers in the region. These include Safavid Persia, the Ottoman Empire, Arab principalities around the Gulf's littoral, India, and rival European merchants active in the area. Topics to be discussed include sources and historiography, mutual perceptions, trade, diplomacy, politics and warfare, missionary activities, and cross-cultural exchange.

Reception

A reception and private viewing of the 'Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World from the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries' exhibition will take place on 7 September from 18.30 to 20.30 hours in the Sackler Gallery of Art. The registration fee for the conference includes admission to this event.