Today, we highlight Ibn Battuta's and the Italian Marco Polo's descriptions of the Strait of Hormuz. Marco Polo notes that the inhabitants of Hormuz were Muslims, commenting on their ethnic background and beliefs, which he describes as differing from those of Christians. He then turns to the influence of climate on people's lives. According to him, people could not remain in the cities during the summer because the heat was so intense that it would be fatal.
He describes the extreme measures they took to protect themselves from the scorching sun and the dangerous hot winds. Marco Polo also recounts a story in which the King of Kerman ordered his forces to launch a surprise attack on the people of Hormuz. However, as they approached the city, thousands of the soldiers reportedly perished because of the fierce winds. Given the extraordinarily high death toll he describes, this narrative was likely exaggerated.
Marco Polo then shifts to discussing the local mourning customs. He immediately expresses his own judgment, remarking on what he considered the strange practice of mourning the dead every day for four years after their passing.
His narrative from this period clearly reveals his strong interest in commerce and trade. He carefully records the goods that were bought and traded. He also highlights Hormuz's excellent harbor, which made it a major commercial hub, underscoring the region's high standing. At the same time, he comments on the poor construction of local ships, suggesting that this limited their ability to travel beyond their own lands. He also notes differences in the climate and in the foods consumed by the local population.
Marco Polo appears to exaggerate the severity of the heat, most likely to emphasize how different the region was from Western Europe. Similarly, his story of a thousand men perishing was probably intended to impress his audience and enhance the significance of his journey.
As the preceding passages demonstrate, Marco Polo did not hold the local inhabitants in particularly high regard, suggesting that some of his observations reflected racial prejudice.
