Mapping the Invisible: Problems of Interpretation and Representation of Hormuz Island, Iran

The article discusses methods of combining visual and literary sources to study heritage sites with rich narratives and scarce material traces. It also examines the use of GIS in historical research and the challenges of integrating historical sources with digital mapping technologies. Taking as a case study the European maps and description of Hormuz Island, Iran, and their impact on the perception of that emporium in a global trade network, the ideological agency of representations can be approached by studying the untold, the invisible. Two main spatial practices have been analysed: the organisation of the built environment due to the lack of fresh water on the island and the disappearance of its main architectural landmark, a monumental minaret represented in many travellers’ accounts. The research problem is approached in a three-stage methodology: comparative analysis of historical maps and descriptions dating from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century; visual material analysis by redrawing architectural features; GIS-based spatial analysis. Overall, the article emphasises the importance of critically examining historical maps, integrating various sources of information, and employing multidisciplinary approaches to gain a deeper understanding of the historical urban pattern and cultural significance of heritage sites. This perspective provides scientific knowledge but also leaves space for imagination, hinging on the state of latency historical artifacts provide.