Hormozgan Province
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Qeshm Island is a protected UNESCO biosphere reserve, seen here on a stormy day in The Persian Gulf. |
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Map showing Hormozgan in Iran |
Hormozgan is one of the 30
provinces of
Iran. It is in the south of the country, facing
Oman. Its area is 68475 km², and its provincial capital is
Bandar Abbas. The province has 14 islands located in the
Persian Gulf, and 1000 km of coastline.
The province has eight major cities, namely:
Bandar Abbas,
Bandar Lengeh,
Minab,
Bandar Charak,
Jask,
Bastak,
Bandar Khamir and
Fin. The province also has 21 counties (or districts), 69 municipalities, and 2046 villages. In 1996, the population of the province was at almost 1.1 million.
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Located in Bandar Lengeh in Hormozgan province, this Portuguese military fortress was built in the Safavid era. |
Although Hormozgan is known to have had settlements during the
Achaemenid era and when
Nearchus passed through this region, recorded history of the main port of Hormozgan (
"Bandar-e Hormoz") begins with
Ardashir I of Persia of the
Sassanid empire.
The province is said to have been particularly prosperous between
241 BC and
211 BC, but is said to have grown even further in trade and commercial significance after the arrival of the Islamic era.
Marco Polo visited the port of Bandar Abbas in 1272 and 1293, and reported widespread trading in Persian jewelry, the
ivory and
silk of IndoChina, and pearls from
Bahrain in the Bazaars in the port of Hormuz.
In 1497, European colonialists landed in the region for the first time, headed by
Vasco da Gama. In 1506, the
Portuguese, led by
Alfonso d'Albuquerque invaded the area with 7 warships, under the pretext of protecting their interests from
Egypt and
Venice. The port of Hormuz was at this time considered a strategic port for commercial interests in the Persian Gulf.
Ismail I who was trying to counter the
Ottoman Empire to the west, was unable to save the port from the Portuguese, until
Shah Abbas I was finally able to drive them out of the Persian Gulf with the aid of the British. The name of
Bandar Abbas comes directly from the name of Shah Abbas I.
The British, meanwhile were competing for influence in the region with Dutch colonialists who finally invaded
Qeshm island and dispatched warships to
Bandar Abbas during the final years of Shah Abbas' reign. The Persian government was unable to defend itself against this attack. However, with the souring of British and Dutch relations, military tensions further grew in the region. The Dutch finally resorted to moving their base up to
Kharg Island.
The Amir of Kharg,
Mir Mahna, was however able to defeat the Dutch forces at Kharg, leaving the British firmly in charge of the entire region. Soon Britain took control over the entire Persian Gulf via the interests of
British East India Company. The British adopted a policy of encouraging local autonomy throughout the Persian Gulf so as to prevent any possible formidable unified force from threatening their establishments in the Persian Gulf.
The strategic importance of the Persian Gulf further increased after
World War I with the discovery of oil in the region.
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| The Hindu Temple in Bandar Abbas, built during the Qajar era for Indian soldiers serving in the British Army during the British occupation. |
The province is primarily mountainous, consisting of the southern tip of the
Zagros range.
The province experiences a very hot and humid climate, with temperatures sometimes exceeding 120F (49C) in summers. There is very little precipitation year round.
Islands of the Province
Fourteen (disputedly)
Iranian islands in the
Persian Gulf are part of this province, including:
*
Abu Musa*
Forur*
Forurgan*
Greater and Lesser Tunbs*
Hendurabi*
Hengam*
Hormuz*
Kish*
Lark*
Lavan*
Qeshm*
Shotur*
Sirri |
Fekri Mansion, Qajari era architecture of Bandar Lengeh. The sea facing Windcatchers create natural cool ventilation inside the house during the hot days of summer. |
Hormozgan today has 11 ports, 5 national airports, and 3 international airports. The province has an active agriculture sector, ranking first in Iran in
lime production and second in
date production. 30% of Iran's fishery produce comes from this province. Two major hydro
dams serve the water needs of the province, namely
Jegin Dam and
Shemil Dam.
Germany has recently offered to build a bridge that would connect Qeshm island to the mainland, a formiddable project.
Hormozgan has two free trade zones, one in
Kish, the other on
Qeshm island.
Hormozgan has 4 and 5 star hotels with modern amenities. The Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran lists 212 sites of historical and cultural significance in the province. Some of the more popular attractions are:
*Emarat e Kolah Farangi (built by and during the Dutch occupation)
*Berkeh haye Baran (6 traditional water reservoirs)
*Gele-dari traditional Bath
*The Hindu temple
*Latidan Bridge, built during the era of Shah Abbas I
*Fekri House
*Sa'di House
*The Portuguese fortress
*Qeshm Island
*
Kish Island, the most popular tourist resort in southern Iran in the Persian Gulf.
*Geno
UNESCO natural biosphere reserve
*Hara
UNESCO natural biosphere reserve
*Various hotwater springs
*#
Bandar Abbas University of Medical Sciences*#
University of Hormozgan*#
Qeshm Institute of Higher Education *#
Islamic Azad University of Bandar Abbas*#
Kish University*
Official website of Hormozgan Governorship*
Hormozgan Cultural Heritage Organization*
Hara UNESCO Biosphere Reserve*
Geno UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
