About Persia / Iran’s Provinces

Bushehr

Published on 11 November 2017The province is mostly known for its warm and humid climate, nuclear power plant, Persian Gulf beaches, and Siraf Historical site.

Bushehr Province with an area of 22,743 square kilometers is the 19^th biggest province in Iran. It is located along the eastern shores of the Persian Gulf and neighbors the provinces of Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Fars, and Hormozgan. In terms of the population, this province with 10 counties contains about 1.5% of the country’s total population. Its natural structure is composed of plains and low-altitude coastal lands with a warm and humid climate in the coastal areas and warm and dry in central areas.

The autumns and springs in Bushehr are very short with relatively cool winters but warm, dry, and long summers. Most people in the province are Fars with the common language of Farsi but with the Bushehr dialect. Nevertheless, the economic and industrial situation of the region, the presence of the nuclear power plant, and the shipbuilding industry have attracted immigrants from other ethnic groups and cities of the country to Bushehr province.

The oldest evidence of settlement in Bushehr province dates back to the era of Elam (2700-539 B.C.), an ancient pre-Iranian civilization. The discovery of tablets made of baked mud with inscription in Elamite language in the Sabzabad Rishahr hill is a testimony to the importance of the Persian Gulf coast during the time. The ancient city of Liyan was a bridge between Bushehr and the Indian Ocean and southeast of Asia.

There are palaces and temples that remained from the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 B.C.) in different parts of the Persian Gulf, Bushehr, and Borazjan including the Winter Palace of Bardak Siah. Siraf harbor is another important and historical area in Bushehr province which is located near the current Taheri port. During the fourth century AD, Siraf had great commercial importance and was considered one of the largest cities of Abbasid Caliphate.

Bushehr played a significant role during the Constitutional Revolution as its constitutionalists opposed against Mohammad Ali Shah (1872-1925), in line with other parts of Iran. After the invasion of the British colonial forces, Tangestani troops leading by Rais Ali Delvari, rose against them.

The Persian Gulf is one of the most important attractions in the province with its beautiful beaches, the salt dome of Jashak, Siraf, Rishahr, Palace of Bardak Siah, and Saadat School.

Saadat School, historically referring to the Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925), is the oldest surviving school in southern Iran. The anniversary of its foundation on 18^th March is considered the Bushehr Day. The most important handicrafts of the province include carpet, decorative objects with shellfish, handmade fish catching net, and shipbuilding. Of its souvenirs include different kinds of Persian Gulf fish, shrimp, dates, tahini, and halva.

Notably, residents of non-coastal areas of the province use more wheat and dairy products as their main food ingredients, while those residing in the coastal areas use more offshore products. Ghalieh Mahi (fish and shrimp stew), Tandaz Mahi (fish broth), Abgoosht Mahi (fish dish), and Lekhlakh are among the native foods of the region. Of the prominent figures of the province are Ali Delvari (oppositional leader), Sadeq Chubak (writer and literary critique), and Najaf Darya Bandari. Darya Bandari is a pioneer author and translator whose name was registered as “The Living Treasure of the National Gastronomy” in the summer of 2017.