Bandar-Abbas () or
Bandar-e ‘Abbās (in
Persian: بندر عباس; formerly known as
Gombroon to English traders and
Gamrun to Dutch merchants) is a
port city and capital of
Hormozgān Province on the southern coast of
Iran (
Persia), on the
Persian Gulf. The city occupies a strategic position on the narrow
Straits of Hormuz, and it is the location of the main base of the
Iranian Navy. It had an estimated population of 352,173 in 2005.
History and etymology
thumb|left|260px|The harbour of Bandar Abbas in 1704.Bandar Abbas has always been a port, and as such its various names have all addressed this function. The most common name over time (Gameroon) has traditionally been said to derive from
Persian gümrük, customhouse (from Late Greek
kommerkion, from Latin
commercium, "
commerce"), but is now speculated to be from Persian
kamrūn, shrimp (which in Portuguese is
camarão, similar to the former Portuguese name).
Ancient history
The earliest record of Bandar Abbas is during the reign of
Darius the Great (between 586 and 522 B.C.). Darius's commander, Silacus, embarked from Bandar Abbas to
India and the
Red SeaDuring
Alexander's conquest of the
Persian Empire, Bandar Abbas was known under the name of
Hormirzad.
Descendants of Gameronians
In the year 630 CE, Maharaja Derbar Raja of Gemeron was defeated in battle and escaped to
Ceylon, and he was later blown off course by a storm to the remote shores of Kuala Sungai Qilah,
Kedah (now
Malaysia). The inhabitants of Kedah found him to be a valiant and intelligent person, and they made him the king of Kedah. In the year 634 CE, a new kingdom was formed in Kedah consisting of Persian royalty and native
Malay of
Hindu faith, the capital was
Langkasuka. (see
Kedah Sultanate and
Early history of Kedah)
The Renaissance and Enlightenment
thumb|right|260px|Close-up of a [[The Netherlands|Dutch trading post in Bandar Abbas in 1704.]]
By the 1500s, Bandar Abbas was known as
Gamrūn to the
Persians. In 1565, a European navigator called it
Bamdel Gombruc (that is,
Bandar Gümrük, or "Customhouse Port"), citing this as the Persian and
Turkish name. In 1612, the
Portuguese took the city from
Lorestān and transliterated the name to
Comorão.
Almost two years later (in 1615), Comorão was taken by
‘Abbās the Great after a naval battle with the Portuguese and renamed
Bandar-e ‘Abbās, or "Port of ‘Abbās". Backed by the British navy, ‘Abbās developed Bandar-e ‘Abbās (known to the English-speaking world as
Gombraun) into a major port.
By 1622, the Portuguese and English names had been officially combined to form
Combrù or
Combu, although the inhabitants still called it Bandar-e ‘Abbās. Sir
Thomas Herbert said the official English name was
Gumbrown, but pronounced "gŏmrōōn". He wrote in 1630 that "some (but I commend them not) write it
Gamrou, others
Gomrow, and othersome
Cummeroon."
By the 1670s, the city was known as
Gameroon
From 1740 onward, control of the town was sold to various Arab rulers, and from c. 1780 it was controlled by Muscat' (now a governorate of
Oman). In 1868, during Oman's decline, the town reverted to Persian rule.
Modern history
In the 1980s, the name "Gameron" was changed in favor of "Bandar Abbas", following similar movements with Iranian names (see
Iran naming convention).
Bandar Abbas serves as a major shipping point for mostly imports, and has a long history of trade with
India particularly the port of
Surat. Thousands of tourists visit the city and nearby islands including
Qeshm and
Hormuz every year.
Bandar Abbas was a small fishing port of about 17,000 people in 1955, prior to initial plans to develop it as a major harbor. By 2001, it had grown into a major city. It has a population of 360,280 (2001 estimate).
Geography
Bandar Abbas skyline in 2007
Bandar Abbas is situated on flat ground with an average altitude of 9 m (30 ft)
above sea level. The nearest elevated areas are Mt. Geno, 17 km (11 mi) to the north, and Mt. Pooladi, 16 km (10 mi) to the northwest of the city. The closest river to Bandar Abbas is the River Shoor, which is rooted from Mt. Geno and pours into the
Persian Gulf, 10 km (6 mi) east of the city.
Climate
Bandar Abbas has a hot and humid climate. Maximum temperature in summers can reach up to 49 °C (120 °F) while in winters the minimum temperature drops to about 5 °C (40 °F). The annual rainfall is around 251 mm (10 in) and the
relative humidity is 66%.
Transportation
Bandar Abbas International Airport has capacity and facilities for landing large transport airplanes.
Roads
Bandar Abbas is accessible via the following highways:
- 18pxBandar Abbas-Sirjan, 300 km (186 mi) to the northeast.
- Bandar Abbas-Kerman, 484 km (301 mi) to the northeast.
- Bandar Abbas-Shiraz, 650 km (404 mi) to the north.
- Bandar Abbas-Zahedan, 722 km (449 mi) to the east.
Language
Original Bandaris (residents of Bandar Abbas) speak Bandari (بندری), a
dialect of
Persian. Bandari has
loanwords from various
European languages (e.g.
tawāl, "
towel") and
Arabic (e.g.
atā [اتا], "to come").
Products
thumb|right|Night market in Bandar Abbas Exports
- Transit goods, dates, citrus, tobacco, fishery; Bandar Abbas was formerly famous for its export of Iranian pottery, known as "gombroon".
Education
University
See also
