16世紀鄂圖曼帝國重啟香料之路

Ottoman Empire Reopening the Spice Route in the 16th Century

16世紀初鄂圖曼帝國版圖延伸至埃及與黎凡特地區，但當地沿著紅海與波斯灣兩條主要傳統香料之路已遭葡萄牙人封鎖。帝國以埃及為中心，建立海軍，逐步控制紅海與波斯灣通路，並在印度洋頻繁活動，改變葡萄牙獨占香料市場的情勢。1530年代以後，傳統香料之路的貿易復甦，穆斯林的朝聖之路更為安全，鄂圖曼帝國亦能鞏固亞洲領土。

At the beginning of the 16th Century, the Ottoman Empire stretched as far as the Levant, where the traditional spice routes met. However, the spice trade had been dominated by the Portuguese since the second half of the 15th century. Thus, the spice resources of the Levant area were cut off as a result of the Portuguese presence in the Indian Ocean. The Ottoman Empire established a navy base in Egypt and reopened the traditional spice route between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The Turkish activities in the Indian Ocean provided a sufficient challenge to the Portuguese dominance. After the 1530s, the traditional spice trade in Levant had resumed and the Pilgrimage to Makkah was protected by the Turkish government. The profitable spice trade enabled the Ottoman Empire to secure territories in Asia Minor.