Geographic context

The Hormozgan region is the southernmost of Iran and is located on the shores of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea. The Strait of Hormoz is one of the most sensitive and vital maritime routes in this region. The regional capital is the historic city of Bandar Abbas which, in the current era, is regarded as one of Iran's largest urban centers 20, and is also one of the most important hubs of the country's economic and commercial activities. The other major cities of the Hormozgan region are: Abu Musa, Bandar-e Jask, Bandar-e Lange, Haji Abad, Rudan (Dehbarez), Qeshm, Kish, Minab, Tonb-e Bozorg and Tonb-e Kuchak.

Climate

The Hormozgan region is part of the hot and dry areas of Iran. This territory is characterized by a semi-desert and desert climate. Instead, in the coastal strip there is a very hot and humid climate in the summer and very mild in the winter seasons.

History and culture

The Hormozgan region has a thousand-year history. In the different pre-Islamic times, the ports and islands of this region were of fundamental importance and played a leading role. The 'Persian Sea' - the Sea of ​​Oman and today's Persian Gulf - is considered to be one of the oldest lakes in the world, on which the present day Hormozgan region is situated. Starting from the 4th century a. C. there are scattered documents about the Persian Gulf in the various texts of Greek historiographers. It seems that, in very ancient times, some peoples lived on the western shores of the Persian Gulf and in the flat areas located in the south-west of the Iranian plateau. There are archaeological evidence about the appearance and development of navigation during that very ancient age, among which we can mention the maritime transport of the Babylonians during the seventh century a. C. in the Persian Gulf. The first sure testimony regarding navigation in the Persian Gulf belongs to the period of Near Khures (or Nearek) who was one of the admirals of Alexander the Macedonian. In the year 1506 d. C., the Portuguese surrounded the island of Hormoz, with the intent to defend the mercantile interests of Portugal against the Egyptian and Venetian trades. At that time, the Island of Hormoz was regarded as the strategic key to maritime trade in the Persian Gulf. Later, Shah Abbas I, with the support of the British, put an end to the power of the Portuguese in the island of Hormoz and in the Persian Gulf. After the First World War, the Persian Gulf, as the largest oil center in the world and a major source of industrial development, assumed fundamental strategic and economic importance. Thus, the strategic context of the Hormozgan region made the foreign powers pay special attention to this area.

Souvenirs and handicrafts

In the Hormozgan region local craftsmanship has a special place in the culture and tradition of its population. The numerous types of traditional embroidered fabrics are among the most important handicrafts and are part of the inseparable clothes of the women and girls of this region. Other handicrafts and souvenirs typical of the Hormozgan region include the following: earthenware and pottery, baskets and straw objects, many varieties of traditional embroidered fabrics, cord fabrics, rugs, blankets and sheets traditional, various types of canvas bags, maritime crafts and dates.

The custom of going to the sea in the Hormozgân region

One of the customs of the last Wednesday of the year in the region of Hormozgân is to go to the sea, in fact the inhabitants of the coastal cities of this region twice a year on specific days go to the sea and take a bath. One of these days is the last Wednesday of the month of Safar (1) and another is the last Wednesday of the year. In these two days people in the group go to the sea and in saying bismillah sets foot in warm and salty water, there is a little left and takes a bath. Finally, by reciting prayers, people put their heads in water three times. Then they return to their homes and wash with fresh water and this gesture is called "hu-shirini". If someone is sick and can not go to the beach in these two days, his relatives bring him sea water so that he can wash himself at home. In the past it was used that whenever a patient healed, they took him to the sea and washed his body with salt water. The inhabitants of Hormozgân believe that doing so, ie going to the sea in these two days of the year, will not get sick. Even from a scientific point of view, sea water, like thermal water, has therapeutic properties and is very useful for the healing of skin diseases. In some cases the people of Hormozgan at the entrance of the houses hang a bucket with sea water and believe that doing so will keep the evil eye away.

1 - Second month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

Local cuisine