Qeshm

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Coordinates: 26°45′N, 55°49′E

Qeshm

Qeshm (Persian: قشم - pronounced kē´shm is an island situated in the Strait of Hormuz off the south coast of Iran and east of the Persian Gulf (26°50′N, 56°0′E). Khouran Strait separates mainland Iran from Qeshm Island. The surface is mostly rocky and barren. It is Iran's largest and the Persian Gulf's largest island. It has an area of 1500 km² and almost 136 kilometers length. ^[1]

Explorer William Baffin was mortally wounded on Qeshm in 1622 during a battle against Portuguese forces.

Qeshm island is also a free trade zone, which has made the island very important due to international trade.

Contents 1 Background 2 Attractions 3 Iran Air Flight 655 4 Economy, Culture, and Education 5 References 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] Background

Historically, Qeshm island dates back far into the pre-Islamic era. Names as Qeshm, Keshm, Kish and Tunb mark the lengthy stay of Ilamids in the area several centuries before Christ's birth. It is, apparently, the island called Alexandria or Aracia by Ptolemy (Book 6, Chap. IV), in the 2nd century CE and as Alexandria by Ammianus Marcellinus (xxiii.6.42) in the 4th century. On account of its strategic geopolitical situation, near the mouth of the Persian Gulf it has been frequently attacked by invaders including Ilamids (Elamites), Umayyads, Abbasids as well as the Portuguese and British, whose ravages are still evident. According to historical records, Qeshm Island has been famous as a trade and navigation center. Its economy flourished during Dialameh and Buyid eras, as trade vessels sailed between it and China, India and Africa.

[edit] Attractions

Qeshm island is famous for its wide range of ecotourist attractions such as the Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5% of the world birds and 25% of Iran's native birds annually migrate to Hara forests which is the first national geo park.

An ancient Portuguese castle, historic mosques, Seyyed Mozaffar and Bibi Maryam shrines, various ponds and mangrove forests are among the tourism attractions in the island, which sits across the azure waters of the Persian Gulf. Several domes, salty caves, the preserved area in Shibderaz Village where turtles hatch as well as numerous ports and wharfs are among the tourist potentials of the island.

Fishing is a leading occupation practiced by the inhabitants of the island. On what little cultivated land there is, dates and melons are grown. Salt is mined on the southeastern coast. The population of Qeshm Island is about 200,000. Nowadays, Qeshm attracts thousands of tourists every year due to natural beauties and modern malls. There are nice hotels and motels in the island. Hara Sea-Forest is a natural feature of tropical and subtropical forests and is one of the most beautiful attractions of Qeshm island.

Qeshm is also considered a supposed site of the Garden of Eden according to Cassells Bible.

[edit] Iran Air Flight 655

On July 3, 1988, an Iran Air Airbus A300 (Iran Air Flight 655) was shot down by a United States Navy guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes just south of the island, resulting in 290 civilian fatalities. The wreckage splashed down 2.5 kilometers off Qeshm's southern coast.

[edit] Economy, Culture, and Education

• Qeshm Institute of Higher Education

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• 2005 Iran earthquake

[edit] External links

• Image:ASTER/VNIR, RGB=321 (2000/1127)METI/ERSDAC
• Qeshm Island entry in the *Encyclopædia Iranica
• Qeshm Island from space, 1996
• Satellite photos of Qeshm Island
• Qeshm Island photos by Masoud Soheili
• Qeshm Island history from the Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS)
• Hormoz and Qeshm
• Qeshm history from Hormozgan university website
• Hormozgan's townships
• Qeshm Island's attractions