"One of the oldest port in persian gulf " a Bandar `Abbas Travel Page by arashmania

about 75 percent of Iranian imports through the Persian Gulf were off-loaded at Bandar Abbas. Next to the berths for international cargo ships are docks for local fishing craft, a large shipyard for repairing and building ships, and naval facilities.

A few hundred yard out at sea scores of fishing barges and small 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.

As the provincial capital, Bandar Abbas is also a local administrative center for several central government agencies and offices. The city is connected to Tehran and the rest of the country by air, rail, and road routes. Bandar Abbas is a modern city with few public tourist sites, although its bazaar is a popular attraction for shoppers. The island of Qeshm, across from Bandar Abbas in the Strait of Hormoz, has several old mosques, shrines, and cemeteries.

picture;budist tempel