This year marks the 1600th anniversary of the legendary foundation of Venice, a city that was initially only a minor settlement but became, at its peak, a powerful republic with dominions along the Adriatic, among the Aegean islands and on the Italian mainland. The influential Republic of Venice maintained close diplomatic and commercial relations with the European and Eastern powers, including the Ottomans, with whom it had rather ambivalent relations.
In his project "SAFVEN - West meets East in Venice: Cross-cultural interactions and reciprocal influences between the Safavids and Venetians", Marie Curie Fellow Ahmad Guliyev focused on the importance of symbolic communication in diplomatic relations between the Safavid empire and Venice and on the material dimension of their diplomatic meetings. His decision to carry out his fellowship at Ca' Foscari was therefore logical. Dr. Guliyev carried out his work under the supervision of Prof. Simone Cristoforetti from the Department of Asian and Mediterranean African Studies, his Marie Curie tutor.
The Safavids were a dynasty that reigned over the territories of modern-day Iran, the southern Caucasus and Afghanistan from 1501 to 1736. At the height of their reign they also controlled eastern Iraq and some areas of modern-day Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Under the reign of Shah ῾Abbās I, called "Abbas the Great" (1587-1629), the Safavid empire reached its apogee. Dr. Guliyev analyzed the diplomatic rituals practiced by the Venetians and the Safavids during their meetings, characterized by the exchange of gifts, and above all, he found unpublished documents that shed light on the relations between the two countries as well as on their respective relations with the Ottoman Empire.
“In general, Venice perceived the Safavids through the lense of its relations with the Ottomans,” explains the researcher: "The same was true of the Safavids, since the nature of their contact with Venice was influenced by their attitude towards the Ottoman Empire. In particular, in the 16th century the Venetians and Safavids looked to each other as potential allies against the threat of Ottoman expansion. At the same time, Venice pursued a Realpolitik that safeguarded its trade relations with the Ottomans since the Republic depended on trade for its livelihood.
"The documents I found in the Venetian and Florentine archives, in particular the 'History of Ismael son of Sciathamas Sofì di Persia' by friar Andrea Rosselli, preserved in the National Library of Florence, could help shed light on some unpublished aspects of Ottoman-Safavid wars in the second half of the 16th century. For example, I was able to discover some hitherto unknown names of Safavid merchants and envoys, but, above all, I discovered that the first embassy sent by Shah Abbās I to Venice dates back to 1597 instead of 1600, as previously thought. We were able to date this first diplomatic mission because we found a letter of recommendation from the Shah 'Abbās I for the envoys Khoja 'Yeias' (Ilyas) and Mehmed Emin, preserved in the series of Turkish Letters and Scriptures of the State Archives of Venice. The letter, sent by Qazvin (modern-day Iran), is dated to 1005 according to the Islamic calendar - and therefore to 1597 according to the Gregorian one - and has been preserved only in the Italian translation. In the letter, addressed to Doge Marino Grimani (r. 1595-1605), the Shah asks the doge to facilitate the purchases of Safavid envoys. This document suggests that the first trade mission to Venice was sent in 1597 and not in 1600, as was previously known.
"The names identified are those of the Safavid merchants who accompanied the Safavid ambassador Fathi Bey in 1603 on a subsequent visit to Venice: Khalil ibn Miri (Calil son of Miri), Garakhan ibn Haji Bayram (Caracan del Agi Beiran), Hasan ibn Haji Abulgasim (Assan del Agi Ebulcasin), Hüseyn ibn Ali (Ussein del Ali) and Sahib ibn Murat (Saap del Murat). These merchants came from Nakhchivan province (now in Azerbaijan), except for Sahib, who came from the city of Tabriz (now in Iran). Among other goods, the merchants brought rhubarb (a plant also used for medicinal purposes) and cloves to Venice."
What were the salient aspects of the diplomatic meetings between Safavid envoys and the Venetian authorities?
The exchange of gifts was particularly significant, especially for the Safavids. As these were mainly commercial relationships, these meetings were an opportunity to show off the best products of their crafts, such as fabrics and carpets, also evoked by the many Venetian paintings of the time, including those by Tintoretto or Palma il Giovane. The fabrics, however, also had a symbolic value. For example, the gift of a khil‛a, a "robe of honor", was reserved for prominent guests or those whom the Shah wanted to pay homage: these robes were made with precious fabrics and were often embroidered, sometimes in gold. In 1603, the Safavid ambassador Fathi Bey donated a mantle of golden cloth to Doge Marino Grimani. Among the gifts brought to Venice by the Safavids in 1600 and 1603 there were also articles in fabric that incorporated religious symbols. A fragment of a velvet embroidered in gold with the figures of Christ and the Virgin is kept in the Museum of Palazzo Mocenigo.
Since the Safavid envoys did not know Italian, they relied on state interpreters (the dragomanni) to converse in Turkish with the Venetian College. Reports of the hearings of some Safavid envoys in Venice suggest that they spoke Turkish, and the Senate sent letters to the Safavid Shahs which were written in Italian but also translated into Ottoman Turkish. Drafts of these translations into Turkish are kept in the State Archives of Venice.
Was there any special knowledge required by this research?
During the semester in Venice permitted by the fellowship, I studied Italian paleography in order to improve my ability to read and transcribe archival documents. I also had the opportunity to participate in the Ottoman paleography course held by Prof. Vera Costantini. This training was useful, because it focused on reading and writing Ottoman imperial letters written in the diwani handwriting.
Do you plan to continue your work in the future?
Yes, I would like to continue my research by focusing both on the triangular relations between Venice, the Safavid Empire and the Ottoman Empire and on the relationships that were established within the Venetian dominions along the Adriatic coast. The language skills I developed during my fellowship will certainly be helpful in this regard.
