PERSIAN GULF
In the years 661-750 AD., Persian Gulf Region was a part of Omavi territory and then a part of Abbasi territory (750-1285 AD.)In the late 8th century, naval business was considerably flourished and some historians know this waterway more important than the silk road and an important part of it.
In the year 1497 AD., for the first time, western colonialists, under the command of "Vasco de Gama" landed in the Persian Gulf ports.
In 1506 AD., Portuguese, surrounded Hormoz island under the pretext of protection of Portugal interests against Egyptian and Venetian merchants. At that time, Bandar-e-Hormoz was counted as a key point of Persian Gulf trade and the spice road passed adjacent to this port in Hormoz straight. Shah Esmail Safavi intended to taking it bach, but due to the trouble of fighting with Ottomans, he could not dismiss Portuguese and concluded a treaty with them.
With conclusion of this treaty, the dominance of Portuguese on the Persian gulf stabilized for some times. Shah Abbas I, with the help of England, expelled them. In the year 1635 AD., the Dutch established a commercial firm in Bandar Abbas and competition between England and the Netherlands accelerated. In the late reign of Safavid king, Iranian government canceled exemption of custom duties for Dutch import and export. Iranian government authorized them to trade on silk in every point of Iran. At the same time, the Dutch constructed a firm castle in Bandar-Abbas.
Mir Mohanna, the Governor of Khark island and Bandar-Rig, under the pretext of not paying rental fees, attached them in 1765 AD. and expelled them from the Persian Gulf. After this event, so many Emirates were established by England in the Persian Gulf in order to preventing any unity against its interests.
After World War I, the Persian Gulf gained a very important strategic and economic condition as a center of petroleum export very essential for world industrial development. Strategic condition of Hormozgan province attracted especial attention of foreign powers to this region.
The Persian gulf and Oman Sea encompass hundreds of aquatic life species, very rich from biological diversity point of view. Sea is a very great resource of food materials and important habitat of different species of birds, both endemic or waterfowl.In spite of high temperature, poor vegetation cover and fresh water shortage, Homozgan province has encompassed some of the most rare species of flora and fauna which are of a high ecological value.
The most important wildlife species in the protected areas of Hormozgan province are:
diverse migratory African or Indian birds, wild goat, wild sheep, brown bear, gazelle, hyena, wild boar, wolf, fox, partridge, dull-yellow partridge, eagle, crab, lobster, snake, crocodile, sea turtle, dolphin, and different endemic and migrant birds including flamingo, pelican .
BANDAR ABBAS
Bandar Abbas is 1484 km. far from Tehran. The climate of this region is hot and humid. This port was called "Jordan Port" in 1555 AD. and was a small village opposite to northern coast of Hormoz island. In the year 1514 AD., Portuguese selected this village as land based point for cargo loading. Due to abundance of crabs in this area, it was called "crab port".In 1622 AD., Shah Abbas cut the hands of Portuguese from this port by the help of England and in honor of this victory, this port became famous as Bandar Abbas. English and the Dutch constructed several beautiful buildings for commercial purposes. Most of commercial huge ships, which carried cargo for Iran and Ottoman from India, anchored in this port. The Dutch, in the year 1741 AD., constructed a new city in the midst of Bandar Abbas with permission of Iran Government.
the first half of 17th century, East Indian Company was established in this city. But, in 1759, due to convulsive condition, this company transferred this commercial center to Basra.
Bandar Abbas and its appurtenances was leased to Sultan of Masquat according to a contract in the time of Nader Shah. After an upheaval happened in 1868 in Masquat, this contract was canceled and the city came under administration of Iran.Presently, Bandar Abbas is capital city of Hormozgan province and it is one of the most important strategic and commercial centers of Iran in the Persian Gulf and Omman sea. Shahid Rajai Jetty Complex is a very huge landing place through which major barter of goods between Iran and other countries is accomplished.
A combination of social, commercial, military, political imperatives and tourism - have turned Bandar_e Abbas into one of those Iranian towns where the desire of the centeral government to modernize and develop even the most outlying provinces as keenly as the big urban centers is the most manifestly spectacular.
Controlling the Straits of Hormoz, one of the world's neuralgic areas, Bandar_e Abbas occupies a strategic position of the greatest importance. In the 16th century already (in 1520 to be precise) the Portuguese, intent upon protecting their Indian Empire, took possession of the Isle of Hormoz. They were expelled in 1622, after a tough naval battle, by Shah Abbas the Great who founded the town which has been bearing his name ever since. At the present time, when the world's mightiest tankers sail past its waterfront almost in bucket-chain fashion, Bander_e Abbas represents a trump card for world peace.
Close to the Arab world and, through the Sea of Oman, open to the oceans of Asia, Bandar_e Abbas is the natural maritime outlet for Iran. On the beach of the village of Tiab, some 100 km farther east, porcelain shards of great antiquity may be found, showing that the Chinese had one known this sea-route. Its significant today is enhanced by the modern docks which have been excavated there; cargoes of all nationalities call at the port to unload cement and cereals, motor vehicles and machinery.
A few hundred yard out at sea scores of fishing barges and small Arab sailing boats, with tall prows and forecastles reminiscent of another age, seem to be looking on indifferently. Their sombre silhouettes resemble the outlines of a fortress on the island of Qeshm after which they have been named. A considerable part of the local population lives on the proceeds of its fishing activities. They still employ the traditional net, but soon modern methods of preservation and transport will permit Iranian coastal fishing to be extended and brought up-to date. The drying sheds worked by wood smoke which the Danes installed a long time ago are now shown in the curing plants as mere museum pieces. Meanwhile the animal life of those warm seas, not yet overly polluted despite the presence of oil-tankers, is being studied in specialized laboratories. The great damp heat does not start before May and becomes unbearable only between June and September. The beaches are covered with silky sand, cleansed by fairly ample tides. Their gentle slope provides a safe playground for children.
Another local tradition, which is bound to disappear within a very few years, are the masks worn by some old women. They are fairly hideous, semi-rigid contraptions, surrounding eyes and cheek-bones and covering the nose. They remind one of the facial armour worn by the Greek soldiers of Antiquity. But although this coastal area must have witnessed the homeward march of Alexander's exhausted columns, it would be too bold perhaps to trace these masks back to Alexander's soldiers! The Iranians maintain that no religious taboo explains the wearing of these masks: rather is it a fashion which originates from the period of the Portuguese occupation when ladies wished to walk about unrecognized or simply to protect their complextion from the scorching sun.
KISH
There is no clear information on the history of Kish in the pre-Islamic era. The only reliable source is the memoirs of Greek sailor Niarkus. In 325 BC, Alexander the Great commissioned Niarkus to set off an expedition voyage into the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Niarkus's writings indicate that he visited Araracta in the 4th century BC. His descriptions of Araracta precisely match with the characteristics of Kish.Niarkus writes, "There are several parks and abundant palm groves on the island."
The glorious development of Kish began after a horrible earthquake rocked Siraf in the 4th century AH. After being razed to the ground in the powerful quake, Siraf lost grandeur and Kish came to the centre stage. During the Ghaznevid, Seljuqi, Kharazmshahid and Mongol eras, Kish was a major trade centre of the Persian Gulf.
Many great tourists and historians such as Qazvini, Fazlollah ben Abdollah-e Shirazi, Ebne Batuteh and Hamdollah Mostoufi have spoken of the grandeur, development and beauties of Kish. According to historical documents, in the Ilkhanid era, the name of Kish was always followed by Dolat Khaneh and associated with such big names as Baghdad, Shiraz, Bahrain and India. The ruins of Harireh, north of the island, speak of the historical magnificence of Kish.In 885 AH (1506 AD), Alfons Albukerk, the Portuguese colonialist adventurer, leading a naval fleet Of 14 frigates, expedited the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. A year later, he captured the islands of Hormuz and Gombroon, an event which pushed Kish to the backstage.
The Portuguese colonialists believed the Hormuz island, as the outlet of the Persian Gulf, was much more important than other islands such as Kish. They also held Hormuz could serve as a powerful stronghold against the invasion of aggressors. After the return of the ownership of Hormuz and the other Persian Gulf islets to, Iran in the third decade of the 17th century AD, all the Persian Gulf islands including Kish lost grandeur and Bandar Abbas, a newly established port town came to the spotlight. In the meantime English, Dutch and French commercial colonialists were stationed all over Bandar Abbas. At this time, Kish was a semi-abandoned island, almost the residence of pirates. In the Qajarid era, Naseredin Shah offered Kish to Qavaam ol-Molk Shirazi, one of the influential landowners of Fars. Qavaam also sold Kish to Mohammad Reza Khan Bandar Abbasi, the then governor of Lengeh.
Until the Pahlavi era, Kish fell to different sellers and buyers. Yet, in 1340 (1961), the government of Dr. Manuchehr Eghbal, bought the island from the heirs of Mohammad Reza Khan Setvat ol-Mamaalek Bastaki for nine million rials. In 1349 (1970), Iranian-American expert delegations visited Kish, designating it as a geographically strategic spot for international trade and tourism. The Kish Development Organisation (KDO), founded in Mehr 1351 (October 1972), drew up a costly plan to develop Kish like Hawaii in the North Pacific Ocean or the islands of South Mediterranean Sea.With the victory of the Islamic revolution, the Kish development plan, almost completed by then, was halted. In Esfand 1358 (March 1980), the Iranian Revolutionary Council passed a law, offering customs duty exemptions to the island, raising hopes of economic prosperity for the deprived southern areas. For good reasons, The law did not come into effect. In Tir 1368(July 1989), the council of ministers approvedthe Kish special industrial trade zone. Three years later, the Kish Free Trade Zone organization was set up, giving a new spirit to development of Kish.
Kish, as one of the most important tourist centers of Islamic Republic of Iran, enjoys the highest per capita of hotel accommodation in the country.
Kish Free Zone Organization with the cooperation and investment of the private sector has developed over 40 operational accommodation centers & complexes including five star hotels, motels, inns, hotel apartments and guesthouses catering to a wide range of tourist taste and budget.
shopping centers in kish : Behkish bazaar,pars khalij bazaar,paniz bazaar,pardise bazaar1,pardise bazaar 2,zayton bazaar,saffain bazaar,marjan bazaar,morvarid bazaar,maryam bazaar,hormoz bazaar,trade center bazaar,venus bazaar.
A number of independent hotels, such as Shayan, Ana, Flamingo, Tamasha, Jaam-e-Jam, Sadaf, Maryam, etc., offer accommodation ranging from 5-star luxurious to simple no-frills economical room and board. Kish's comprehensive development plan has been geared toward tourism activities and the major portion of the land and resources have been allocated to tourism industry.
In addition to the existing facilities, many more are under construction such as the beach-front five star hotel "Taban" and the luxurious five star hotel "Dariush" with the Persepolis motive in architecture and an exceptional view of the Persian Gulf, promising to be one of the finest hotels in the country.
Kish's top hotels cater the best, offering a perfect combination of business and leisure facilities.Attractive service and outstanding cuisine can be expected and most of the restaurants entertain the guests with live music.
Kish Island is surrounded by soft golden beaches, palm trees and crystal clear waters, in a place where time moves imperceptibly. The island offers relaxation combined with adventure in a destination that is unspoiled by commercialization, with its refreshing natural beauty and the unsophisticated life style of its people still very much intact.
Kish Island has a calm sea and beautiful coast . The coast in the northeast , west and south wings is made of rock where the sea is also wavy due to the wings blowing from the sea. Kish soil made of coral with a silvery color dazzlingly shining under the sunlight . Such specification may not be seen in many other coasts in the world covered with gray sand .The sea water in Kish island is bright and clear in a way that the bottom of the sea can be easily seen from a very far distance . Kish coast is one of the least dangerous coasts in the world .
Since there is no dangerous shark in the sea , people can enjoy the water without any danger threatening them . It should be noted that the sharks which are some times seen in the Kish coasts , feed on small fishes and are therefore no threat to people swimming there . Kish coast is one of the exceptional coasts suitable for aquatics both in winter and summer .
Kish Island lies like a pearl across the turquoise waters of the Persian Gulf and is a heaven of peace and tranquility fringed by sandy beaches and coral reefs vivid with colorful fish.
A variety of other water sports are also available. Jet-skiing, sailing, fishing, parasailing, reef walking, coral viewing, boating and water skiing are just a few popular ways to spend the time and enjoy yourself during your visit to the Island.
These are just few reasons that have turned Kish Island into a popular holiday destination in the region. All together, Kish Island offers a stunning variety of cultures, scenery, sports, duty-free shopping and entertainment.
It is not surprising that Kish Island attracts visitors from all over Middle East, and increasingly nowadays, from other countries around the world. The Sunshine Island has a climate that allows visitors to enjoy its attractions to the full and Kish really does have something for everyone, no matter what they may seek from a holiday.
Foreign nationals need no visa at the authorized arrival and departure points of Kish Island.At Kish international airport the officials will just stamp your passport , which allows you to stay up to 14 days on the Island
QESHM
Qeshm is the largest Island in Iran and Persian Gulf,Qeshm island is situated in the north of Hormoz straight. Qeshm city is located in the north-east of the island. The weather is hot and humid over there.It was also called "Altavileh" (long) island due to its long length. In the time of Mongol upheaval, the Head of Touran tribe resided in Qeshm and tried to develop it, so he was entitled to Touranshah. .jpg)
In 1507 AD., the Portuguese constructed important military fortifications and this situation continued till the reign of Shah Abbas Safavid.
In 1645 AD., the Dutch gathered an important military force in the Persian Gulf and occupied Qeshm island under the pretext that Iran has not observed the contents of the commercial treaty. But they left the island due to its hot weather.
.jpg)
After the death of Nader Shah in 1747 AD., domination of Iran over the Persian Gulf was weakened and Javasem Arab tribes expanded their violation and finally in 1760 AD., conquered the island.
In 1882 AD., Basaidou in Qeshm island was chosen as England military Naval Base. English left the island due to its hot weather.
After Islamic Revolution in 1979 AD, Qeshm became more important and was declared the second "Trade Free Port" of Iran in 1989. In 1990, the customhouse was stablished in the island and it is one of the busiest commercial and industrial regions in the Persian Gulf and Omman sea. With mobilizing this port, commercial exchanges with neighboring states expanded considerably.
.jpg)
