Since the earliest civilizations in Iran and its surrounding regions, the body of water to the south of the country has always been called the Persian Gulf or Sea of Persia. This ancient and consistent name has never been replaced, and historical maps of Iran have always marked it as the “Persian Gulf.” Geographers from ancient times, in their maps, books, and records, exclusively used this name.
Many travelogues and reports from foreign travelers, orientalists, geographers, and political emissaries who visited Iran further confirm this. Whenever they described or passed through the Persian Gulf, they consistently referred to it by this name, without ever using any other title.
While it would be impractical to list all such references due to their number, this article highlights just a few as a representation of the many that affirm the long-established name of the Persian Gulf.
European Maps and the Name “Persian Gulf”
At the end of the 15th century, the Portuguese entered the Persian Gulf, having already reached the coasts of India. Seeking control over the Gulf and its waterways, the Portuguese needed a map of the region. The oldest map they created, dating from 1500 to 1515, appears in Duarte Barbosa’s travelogue. On this map, the body of water is labeled as “Sea of Persia.”
Between 1540 and 1570, German cartographer Sebastian Munster created two maps of the Persian Gulf, clearly marking it as the “Persian Gulf.” Another map by Munster from the same period also shows the Gulf with the same name.
The first modern map of Iran was created by the Italian cartographer Giacomo Gastaldi in 1548. He labeled the Gulf as the “Sea of Persia.” Less than thirty years later, Belgian mapmaker Abraham Ortelius included the Persian Gulf in his geographical maps, using the same name. In 1595, Ortelius drew another map of the Middle East, again labeling the Gulf as the “Persian Gulf.”
From then on, every European map of the Persian Gulf continued to use this name, sometimes referring to it as the “Sea of Persia,” but never with any other name.
English Travel Writers and the Name “Persian Gulf”
Between 1799 and 1928, many English travelers visited Iran, writing extensive travelogues about the country and its southern shores. In all these writings—whether detailed or brief—the name used for the southern sea of Iran was consistently Persian Gulf. Based on the research of scholars, here are some of the British travel writers who referred to the Persian Gulf:
- Sir John Malcolm (1800): A Scottish officer with the East India Company, historian, and politician, who visited the Qajar court multiple times. He wrote a book on the history of Iran.
- Sir Henry Layard (1842): Explored southern Iran and spent time among the Bakhtiyari people. His travelogue, Early Adventures in Iran, was published.
- Lady Sheil (1853): The wife of the British envoy to the Qajar court, Nasser al-Din Shah. Her book Glimpses of Life and Customs in Persia (translated as The Memoirs of Lady Sheil) discusses Iranian life.
- Polak (1860): Born in England but spent most of his life in Vienna, where he died. He was the personal physician to Nasser al-Din Shah and wrote a travelogue filled with social insights into Iran at the time.
- Percy Sykes (1894): An English geographer and writer who served in the British Indian Army and came to Iran in 1894. He authored a two-volume history of Iran.
- Edward Browne (1887): A renowned British orientalist who wrote a significant travelogue titled A Year Among the Persians.
- Lord Curzon (1889): A British politician who wrote Persia and the Persian Question.
- Sir Arthur Harding (1905): British envoy to the Qajar court, whose Political Memoirs were translated into Persian.
All these English writers consistently referred to the body of water as the Persian Gulf in their works, discussing its characteristics in detail.
French Travel Writers and the Name “Persian Gulf”
Many French travelers have mentioned the Persian Gulf in their travel writings. Some notable names include:
- Guillaume Antoine Olivier (1795): Known for his valuable travelogue about Iran during the early years of the Qajar dynasty.
- Count Alfred de Gardanne (1807): A French envoy during the reign of Fath Ali Shah Qajar, his book The Mission of General Gardanne in Iran has been translated into Persian.
- Gaspar Drouville (1813): A Frenchman who came to assist the Iranian army during the Russo-Iranian War in Fath Ali Shah’s era. His book Travels in Iran has also been translated into Persian.
- Count de Gobineau (1855): A French scholar who wrote Three Years in Asia, discussing Persian culture and history.
- Ernest Drouin (1882): His travelogue Travels in the Caucasus and Iran is well known.
- Jean Duflois (1884): A famous French archaeologist whose book The Travel Diaries of Madame Duflois has been translated into Persian.
- Jean-Baptiste Tavernier: A French merchant and traveler who visited Iran during the Safavid era. His valuable travelogue also repeatedly mentions the Persian Gulf.
- Jean Chardin: A French jeweler and traveler who came to Iran during the Safavid dynasty and wrote a detailed 10-volume travelogue. This book, also translated into Persian, frequently refers to the Persian Gulf.
All of these French travelers consistently used the name Persian Gulf in their accounts.
German Travel Writers and the Name “Persian Gulf”
Several German travelers who visited Iran in past centuries have mentioned the Persian Gulf in their travel writings. Some of them include:
- Hugo Grote (1907): He traveled to Iran during the Constitutional Revolution and wrote an engaging travelogue about the country.
- Oscar von Niedermayer (1916): A military officer who came to Iran during World War I and conducted covert operations for Germany. His travelogue Under the Burning Sun of Iran was published.
- Wipert Blücher (1916): He visited Iran during the late Qajar dynasty and the early years of Reza Shah’s reign. His travelogue has been translated into Persian.
- Engelbert Kaempfer: A German who visited Iran during the Safavid era and wrote a detailed travelogue about the court of Shah Suleiman. He also mentioned the Persian Gulf in his account.
- Carsten Niebuhr: A German traveler who came to Iran during the reign of Karim Khan Zand and wrote a travelogue about his experiences (this book has been translated into Persian). Kaempfer also did not omit mentioning the Persian Gulf in his work.
All German travelers who visited Iran in the last two centuries and wrote about its geography have consistently referred to the Persian Gulf by this name in their books.
American Travel Writers and the Name “Persian Gulf”
Three American travelers have also mentioned the Persian Gulf in their travel writings:
- Benjamin (1883): He was the first U.S. envoy to the court of Iran and visited during the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar. His book The Travels of Benjamin is highly engaging.
- John Wishard (1891): An American physician, he traveled extensively across Iran and wrote a travelogue titled Twenty Years in Iran.
- Samuel Wilson (1914): An American missionary who came to Iran in the late years of Nasser al-Din Shah’s reign, he wrote a book called Life and Customs of the Iranians.
These three individuals—Benjamin, Wishard, and Wilson—also referred to the “Persian Gulf” in their books.
European Travelers and the Name “Persian Gulf”
From the Mongol period in Iran to the Safavid era, numerous Venetian travelers visited Iran, and several of them mentioned the Persian Gulf. One such traveler, Marco Polo (1254–1323), referred to the Persian Gulf in his travel writings, highlighting the region’s commerce.
Another important figure, Clavijo, a Spanish envoy during the time of Tamerlane (Timur), also mentioned the Persian Gulf in his travelogue, providing insights into maritime travel in the region.
Don Garcia de Silva Figueroa, the Spanish ambassador to Shah Abbas the Great, documented the Persian Gulf in his important travel memoir, offering detailed geographical accounts of the area.
Gregorio Pireda Fidalgo, a Portuguese traveler, journeyed extensively across the Persian Gulf’s coastal and maritime regions during the later years of the Safavid period, frequently referencing the Persian Gulf.
Pietro Della Valle, an Italian knight who visited Iran during Shah Abbas’s reign, also included the name “Persian Gulf” in his travel writings.
Following the fall of the Safavids, the Dutch East India Company set up trade posts along the Persian Gulf. Many valuable reports from their employees were collected and published by the well-known Dutch scholar Willem Floor. His works, including The Dutch in Khark Island of the Persian Gulf (translated into Persian by Abolqasem Sari in 1992), consistently used the name “Persian Gulf” in their accounts.
A Japanese Travelogue and the Name “Persian Gulf”
The first Japanese diplomatic envoy to Iran during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar was Yoshida Masaharu. In his travelogue, which was translated into Persian by Hashem Rajabzadeh in 1994, he mentions the geography and commerce of the Persian Gulf, consistently referring to it by its long-established and historical name, “Persian Gulf.”
In addition to the examples already mentioned, many other travel writers have also referred to the region by its rightful name — “Persian Gulf.” These accounts, along with a wealth of ancient documents, books, and writings from foreign travelers, all demonstrate that the body of water to the south of Iran has always been known as the “Persian Gulf” (or “Sea of Persia”). Any other name assigned to it is inaccurate, fabricated, and contradicts the entirety of historical and geographical records. The name Persian Gulf is deeply rooted in history and will endure as long as the world lasts.
