Our cities
Explore each city’s unrepeatable delights and mysteries with your own eyes. Learn about the unique history and tales of you preferred city with its landscapes and sites, and much more…
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Bandar Abbas
Crab Port, Pearl of the Persian Gulf
The capital of Hormozgan Province, Bandar Abbas is located north of the strategic Strait of Hormoz and borders Hajiabad in the north, Minab and Rudan in the east, Bandar Lengeh, Bandar Khamir in the west and the Persian Gulf and Qeshm Island in the south. Bandar Abbas has a hot and dry desert climate with temperatures reaching 49 °C in summers.
The earliest record of Bandar Abbas is during the reign of Darius the Great (550-486 BC) when his commander Salicus sailed from Bandar Abbas to India and the Red Sea. When Alexander of Macedonia (356-323 BC) invaded the Persian Empire, Bandar Abbas was known as Hormirzad.
In 1514 the Portuguese occupied Bandar Abbas, naming it Comorão because of the many lobsters and crabs on its shores. In 1622, Safavid King Shah Abbas I (1571-1629) backed by the British and through the efforts of his commander Imam Qoli Khan liberated the city and named it Bandar Abbas in honor of this victory.
Bandar Abbas is currently a strategic and commercial center in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea and the location for the main base of the Iranian Navy. This fishing port and has a lively fish market.
Some of the city’s historical attractions include Kolah Farangi Pavilion, Delgosha Jame Mosque, Galedari Mosque, Qajar (1785-1925) mansions such as the Galedari House, Ahmadi House, the Safavid (1501–1736) Latidan Bridge, and a traditional bazaar.
Bandar Abbas beach, Pol Salt Dome and Khersin Salt Cave are some of the city’s famed natural attractions. The city has numerous thermal springs in its vicinity which have therapeutic properties most notably Khorgou, Bari, Nian and Genoo Thermal Springs. Bandar Abbas is also close to the islands of Hormoz, Qeshm and Lark. Hormoz Island is a known bird watching destination, Qeshm is an island with thousands of years of history and breathtaking natural attractions, and Lark is a volcanic fishing island.
Bandar Abbas
Crab Port, Pearl of the Persian Gulf
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Population
435,751
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Coordinates
27°11′N 56°16′E
Top things to do:
Top foods to try:
- Hawari- A mixed rice dish made with fish or shrimp and turmeric. Coriander, dill and chickpeas may be added to this dish.
- Moflak – A dish made with roasted wheat or oat, turmeric and fish.
- Zeeboun- A rice dish made with potato, fish, tomato and turmeric.