Strait of Hormuz - From the past to the present!

In 1507, Afonso de Albuquerque understood that whoever controlled Hormuz would control world trade. Upon conquering the region, the Portuguese built the imposing Fortress of Our Lady of the Conception. For more than a century, Portugal dominated the passage, collecting tributes and preventing other powers from reaching the spices of India via the Persian Gulf. This dominance ended in 1622, when an alliance between the Persians (Safavid dynasty) and the English expelled the Portuguese.