Pêro da Covilhã’s journey from Cairo was nothing short of revolutionary. He joined a caravan of merchants traveling to the Red Sea port of Aden. This was hostile territory for a Christian, but Covilhã moved with the confidence of a seasoned trader.
The two men disguised themselves as merchants and traveled overland from Portugal to Barcelona, then to Naples, Rhodes, and finally Alexandria, Egypt. From there, they joined a caravan of Moorish traders. For a 15th-century European, this was a journey into the abyss. To blend in, Covilhã learned Arabic and adopted Muslim dress and customs—an act of cultural chameleonism that would save his life many times over. pedro da covilha
From Aden, he took a dhow across the turbulent waters of the Indian Ocean, landing at Cannanore (modern-day Kerala, India) in 1488. Pêro da Covilhã’s journey from Cairo was nothing