Safavid–Venetian relations

Also, in frequent wars with the Ottomans, Venice could create a dangerous situation on the coast of the Anatolian peninsula in favor of the Safavids.

In addition, from the middle of the 17th century, the Venetian senate wrote letters of recommendation to the Safavid Empire on behalf of Catholic Armenians and other missionaries.

In 1502, Venice assigned the task of gathering information about the country's new ruler to the Greek Costantino Laskaris from Istanbul.

Having lived in Istanbul and Cyprus for many years, Constantino, who was well acquainted with the Eastern world, was sent to Karaman and to the military camp of the Safavids.

After he returned from a trip to Karaman and the Safavid military camp, he gave an extensive report of his visit to the Venetian government.

Laskaris was unable to meet Shah Ismail, but he met their allies, the Karamanids, and convinced Venice of its willingness to support him in his fight against the common enemy, the Ottomans.

Therefore, this first diplomatic contact of the Safavids with the Republic of Venice did not result in both sides launching military operations against the Ottoman Empire at the same time.

[4] The main goal of the Safavid empire was to acquire firearms from the West and also to expand peaceful relations with European states.

1508, Nafplion, the Venetian governor of the Greek city, was visited by an ambassador of the Safavids dressed as a dervish.

In 1510, the Mamluks in Syria captured Niccolò Surieri, the ambassador who returned to Venice with a letter from the Safavid Empire.

All these contacts, as well as others that took place during the reign of Shah Ismail, had one common feature: the desire or hope to create a military alliance against the Ottomans.

Along with the defeat of Shah Ismayil in the Battle of Chaldiran, Venice's policy against the Ottomans also played an important role in this.

The Viceroy of Venice in Cyprus, Juan Paolo Gradenigo, wrote to his government from Nicosia on April 29, 1515: I confirm that Señor Sofi (Shah Ismail) has collected more than 100 thousand warriors and has acquired many cannons...

Among them are soldiers armed with rifles and artillery specialists sent by the King of Portugal.During the Venetian-Ottoman war (1537-1570), Venetian-Safavid relations improved.

However, in 1601 Anthony Shirley and Hossein Ali Beg Bayat, two Safavid ambassadors dispatched to Venice during this time, were not permitted to enter the city and deliver their letters and credentials to the Doge.

The Senate authorized Sagredo's visit in 1629, and he left Venice that same year, unaware that Shah Abbas I had died in the meantime.

The fact that the Safavids had a real interest in the commercial presence of Venice in the country was also confirmed by Alvise Sagredo's reminder of the letter sent by Shah Safi to the Doge through Ali Bali.

The Polish envoy Jerzy Ilicz was sent to the Safavid palace together with the Dominican priest Antonio da Fiandra.

In response, Ferdinando Gioverida (a Catholic priest and relative of Petra della Valle's first wife) left for Venice in 1647.