Kish Island
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| Kish Island جزیرهی کیش |
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  Kish Island
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  Iran |
| Hormozgān Province | |
| Area | |
| - Land | 91.5 km² (35.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - City | 20,922 |
| - Metro | 20,922 |
| Time zone | IRST (UTC+3:30) |
| Website: Kish Free Zone Organization Hormozgan Province |
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Kish (Persian: کیش) is a resort island in the Persian Gulf. It is part of the Hormozgān Province of Iran. Due to its free trade zone status it is touted as a consumer's paradise, with numerous malls, shopping centres, tourist attractions, and resort hotels. It has an estimated population of 20,000 residents and about 1.5 million people visit the island annually[1]. The area of the island is 91.5 km². Kish Island is the purported to be the third most visited Western-oriented cities in the Middle East, after Sharm el-Sheikh and Dubai.[citation needed]
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History
Kish Island has been mentioned in history variously as Kamtina, Arakia, Arakata, and Ghiss. In 325 BC, Alexander the Great commissioned Nearchus to set off an expedition voyage into the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Nearchus's writings on Arakata is the first known mention of Kish Island in antiquity.[1] When Marco Polo visited the Imperial court in China, he commented on the Emperor's wife's pearls, he was told that they were from Kish.[2] In the 1970s the last Shah of Iran turned the island into a luxury resort for the international elite complete with a Grand Casino (now known as the Shayan International Hotel) and an airport designed to handle the Concorde. After the Islamic Revolution, Kish Island became a duty-free shopping center.
Geography
Kish is located in the Persian Gulf and has an area of around 91 km². Along Kish's coast are coral reefs and many other small islands. The climate of Kish is mild in the winter and hot and humid in the summer.
Economy
Since the mid-1990s the Iranian government has embarked on an aggressive promotional and developmental campaign to tailor Kish as a rival to Dubai but mainly a big rival to Doha. Steps taken in order to accomplish this include launching massive construction projects and programs designed to attract foreign investment and trade. Within the area of the Kish Free Zone, as it is known, the standard laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran are far more relaxed than on the mainland, which has resulted in significant increases in mostly domestic tourist population over the years, as well as in international trade on the island. However, alcohol is not available on the island, just like the rest of Iran. It has been suggested that this is a significant barrier for the development of Kish because an alcohol free island is somewhat unsuitable for western tourists. The population of the island includes significant numbers of both Muslims and Christians.
Education
Kish is home to Kish University, a university founded in 1996, it now has 360 students.
Sports
Kish acts as the location for numerous international sporting event. Kish Island is part of the Professional Squash Association's annual tour, holding the Fajr International Squash Championship. Kish Island also holds Iran's Traditional and Heroic Games Contests annually attracting over 17 countries worldwide. As part of the Flower of the East project Kish will have an 18-hole championship golf course based on PGA standards and a 9-hole course for beginners. Kish is home to a multi-purpose Olympic stadium seating 1200 spectators, it caters for 11 sports including volleyball, basketball, handball, futsal, gymnastics, wrestling, taekwondo, judo, karate and chess. All of these are supervised by professional and international coaches. It attracts top national football teams and clubs who often use Kish as summer training camp with high quality facilities, good weather and a tranquille environment making it a good location. The Kish Karting Track is one of the largest in the Middle East, and one of the first of it's kind in Iran. A great array of water sports are also on offer in Kish such as snorkeling and scuba diving courses, jet skiing, diving cruises, water skiing, sea skiffs, cruises to other islands around Kish, parasailing, jet boat rides, cruise fishing boats, pedal boating, banana boat rides, and windsurfing. Maryam Bowling Complex not only has 16 bowling lanes but also has a health club with a fitness suite and a jacuzzi. Kish Equestrian Club hosts national races and the high standards present at the club make it suitable for holding international competitions. Kish has 3 international standard volleyball courts, Kish held the 2006 Asian Men's Beach Volleyball Championship. Rumors indacated it as a possible future FIA Formula One World Championship venue.
Major Kish Island Projects
International oil bourse
The International Oil Bourse is a commodity exchange which opened on February 17, 2008
Dariush Grand Hotel
Dariush, a $125 million five star hotel with over 200 guest rooms, is located near the eastern sandy beaches of the island. The hotel was built to be a reminder of Persepolis, a symbol of the glory and splendor of the ancient Iranian civilization. The hotel was designed and developed by the European-Iranian entrepreneur and hotel tycoon, Hossein Sabet, who owns and manages several tourist attractions and hotels in the Canary islands. The hotel was completed in 2003 and was managed by the Scandinavian-based Rezidor Hotel Group group until 2006.
Kish Hidden Pearl
In 1999, a project to build an underground complex was begun by 300 artists and excavation workers. After deep excavations rigid coral ceilings were discovered, and this was included in the final design. Once completed, the city will include restaurants, tourist resorts and underground therapeutic mud pools.
Flower of The East
The Flower of the East complex is a massive 1.7 billion Euro tourist attraction began in 2004 and is expected to be completed by 2009. The project, will includes a 7-star and two 5-star hotels, three residential areas, villas and apartment complexes, coffee shops, luxury showrooms and stores, sports facilities and marina. The project is managed by the German firm Dress and Sommer.
Kish Dolphin Park
The Dolphin Park is 10,000 square metres large and is located at the south east corner of Kish Island. The Dolphin Park is surrounded by over 12,000 palm trees. The park includes a Dolphinarium, Butterfly Garden, Silkworm Compound, Exotic Bird Garden, Artificial Rain Forest, Volcanic Mountain, The World Of Orchids and Cactus Garden.
Solar Powered Hotel
Hossein Sabet owner of the Sabet Hotels Group which includes the Dariush Grand Hotel and many other hotels on the island is set to build the first solar powered hotel in the Middle East on the island. Cyrus Hotel will be 7-star costing $520 million and will have 500 rooms, 23 floors in an area of 100,000 square meters. The hotel is set to be complete in October 2009.[2] [3] [4] When the hotel is complete, Iran will have the highest number of 7-star hotels in the world with a total of two (Flower of the East Hotel and The Solar Powered hotel).
References
- ^ Press TV - Iran builds 1st solar hotel on Kish
- ^ Press TV - Iran builds 1st solar hotel on Kish
- ^ Kish Hotel to Use Solar Energy - Middle East News
- ^ Baztab News
See also
- Iran airshow
- Economy of Iran
- Foreign Direct Investment in Iran
- Chabahar free trade-industrial zone
- Kish Air
- Kish International Airport
- Flower of the East
- Robert Levinson
External links
- Kishisland.com The independent, non-governmental website of Kish island
- Kish Free Zone Organization
- Kish Island travel guide from Wikitravel
- Kish Tourism Organization for full information about Kish Tourism Attractions and etc.
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