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Kish
Located on the north east of the Persian gulf with a minimum distance of 18
km from the southern offshore of the mainland Iran, the kish island with an area
of 90 square kilometers is one of the most marvelous and most beautiful regions
of the Persian gulf and has attracted the attention of many tribes and nations
since times immemorial. Oval in shape, the island is 15 km long and 8 km wide.
The island is largely flat, sandy and uncultivated, with a high point of 45
meters above sea level. Although very hot and humid in summer, it has got a
pleasant weather from about November to March with an annual average temperature
of 27 degrees centigrade.
Its beautiful coast is covered with white silvery sand washed by azure blue
waves of the sea.
Already a famous island, Kish owes its present flourishing to its status as
Iran's first and, for a long time, the only free port, and its sweet water.
Kish has a long history of about 3,000 years, being called under various
names such as kamtina, Arakia, Arakata, and Ghiss in the course of time. The
island was known for the quality of its pearls; when Marco Polo was visiting the
imperial court in China and remarked on the beauty of those worn by one of the
Emperor’s wives, he was told that they had come from Kish.
Sights to See
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The Greek Ship
In a morning of the year 1345 (1966), the local people of Kish found a
colossal ship which had run aground close to Baghu village, near the western
coasts if the island. The people said the cause of the incident was that
there was no lighthouse round to guide the captain in the foggy weather.
The spectacular scene, along with the melodies of striking waves and the
changing colour of the sky and sea, carve a memorable monument in the mind
of every viewer.
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Qanat
A qanat is a network of wells and tunnels designed at a slope less than the
ground's, in order to channel waters of aquiferous layers to the ground
through gravity force and not mechanical energy. The system is a customary
method of extracting water from subterranean layers in Iran and some other
dry regions of the world.
There are now 10 qanats in the northern and western parts of the island.
Although the Kish qanats are not as long as those of the dry central Iranian
regions, their engineers have made maximum use of the minor slope of the
island.
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Ford
Every open qanat contains a stream of water flowing towards the spring head.
A ford is a corridor dug alongside the qanat mouth. The steep stepped ford
reaches the water flowing down the tunnels. The deeper the well, the more
steps the ford will have. The excavation angel is designed in a way that the
last steps of the ford touch the mouth of the qanat.
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Kish Beaches
Kish`s coral soil is silver, shining like a pearl under the sunlight. This
is a rare phenomenon for the soils covered by grey sands. Not far from the
beach, the sea is transparent and the seabed can be easily seen.
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Donya Road
Donya Road (World Road) is a belt road surrounding Kish. Along the road,
some 25 plots of land have been allocated to the 25 provinces of the country
each, so that they will display their artistic products and handicrafts.
Some pavilions have also been slated to be given to foreign countries on the
other side of the road, so that each province will have a foreign country as
its neighbor.
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Aquarium
The aquarium building lies in the eastern side of the island, near the Kish
Hotel. The aquarium showcases a large variety of fishes and aquatic life.
For those reluctant to dive into the sea and watch the beauties of the
underwater world, it can be memorable to pay a visit to the nice aquarium of
Kish.
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Reptiles Exhibition
The exhibition contains over 100 species of snakes such as boa, pythons of
Africa and Amazon, iguana crocodile of Madagascar, the black emperor
scorpion of Africa, flying snake of Thailand, the bird-easter spiders of
Brazil....in order to visit the exhibit, the interested should refer to the
Art center, south of the Gazelles Park.
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Taxidermy Collection
Taxidermy is the art of preparing, stuffing and mounting the skins of
animals, so that they will appear lifelike. There is a workshop at the Kish
University, displaying stuffed birds, reptiles, crustaceans and the marine
animals of the Persian Gulf.
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Meet the Locals
Anthropologists can meet the industrious and kind native people of Kish in
Saffain district and get acquainted with their Lifestyle. The old people of
Kish speak both Farsi and Arabic, and are mostly dressed in local costumes.
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Kish Mosques
Kish houses seven mosques and hosseiniyehs (Islamic centers dedicated to
mourning the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (pbuh). The biggest mosques of Kish
include the mosques of Amir, Khatam ol-Anbia and Nour.
The Amir Mosque is one of the oldest monuments of Kish which was repaired
and refurbished by the National Heritage Organization in the early 1991.
Parks
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Derakht-e Sabz Entertainment Complex
The surface waters mainly flow into the lush wooded Portuguese valley, north
of the island. Around one of the old-grown quark trees of the valley, there
is a magnificent complex named Derakht-e Sabz (meaning the ever green tree).
The green lush appearance of the site reminds us of the wooded northern
Iranian regions.
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Woods
The artificial forest of Kish, planted on a six-hectare expanse of land in
1992, stands north-east of the island. The forest is mainly planted with
Egyptian acacia, eucalyptus, albizia, sour jujube, lotus, quark, tamarisk,
palm and tamarind.
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Baghu Village
Baghu is one of the oldest villages of Kish, located south-west of the
island. The village, home to a handful of families, boasts one of the most
fertile lands of the region.
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Gazelles (Ahovan) Park
With a land area of two hectares, the park is located down the Ferdowsi
Street, accommodating a variety of animals such as lion, gazelle, fox,
jackal, monkey, deer, peacock, parrot and golden eagle. There are also
several entertainment facilities for children.
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Fadak Park
With a collection of indigenous and non-indigenous trees along the Donya
Road, Fadak is one of the most beautiful parks of the island, particularly
famous for its wooden pavilion, wooden fences and nice exterior design.
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Child Park
Located nearby the magnificent harbor, the Child Park is one of the oldest
resorts of the island. There is a dodgem car track inside the park.
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Rayhan Garden
Located along the Donya Rayhan Garden is a cultivation garden of imported
mango trees.
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Palm Groves
Palm cultivation has a long record on Kish. Most of the tourists visiting
the island in the past few centuries have noted the wooded palm groves of
Kish. Yet, over the past few decades, several palm groves have been
destroyed or chopped. Presently, the Bagh-e Behesht, west of Saffain
district, boasts one of the nicest palm groves of Kish.
Entertainment and Sport Facilities
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Kish Sports Complex
There are several sports facilities in Kish. One of the best of these
facilities is the Kish Sports Complex which contains the following
utilities:
* Six tennis courts: two for women, two for children and two for men
* A 10,000-seat soccer field
* An open-air swimming pool
* A multi-purpose gym (volleyball, basketball, handball, tennis...)
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Riding Club
Riding strengthens mind and creates mental peace. The Kish Riding Club was
set up in 1993 north of the island near the Olympic Village for the Persian
Gulf International Games.
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Sports Grounds across the Island
There are a variety of sports grounds, gymnasiums and stadiums across the
island.
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Cycling Track
Kish is home to one of the longest cycling tracks of Iran. The 75-kilometre
cycling track stretches along the Donya Road on the beach. Some private-run
stations even let bikes to the cyclists. These stations are scattered all
over the island, ranging from the harbor to the Marjan Bazaar.
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Marine Sports Club
The Marine Sports Club lies to the north-east of the island, near the Shayan
Hotel. The center provides a wide spectrum of facilities such as glass-floor
boats, speed boats, pedal boats, rowing boats, water skiing, fishing and
diving equipment. Touring the Persian Gulf with a glass-floor boat is a
convenient way to watch the underwater world. Tourists can also use the
diving facilities and watch the underwater nature more closely.
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Beach Complexes
Unlike other seaside resorts of the world, the beaches of Kish are covered
by corals, shining like a pearl under sunlight. The coastal waters of Kish
are transparent and one can easily see a few meters deep into the water. The
beach huts are suitable place for the interim residence of holidaymakers.
Because of its nice weather, Kish beaches provide the possibly of swimming
in nearly all days of the year.
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Facilities for Women
The "women only" swimming facilities are located in the northern beaches, in
front of the Communications Company. The complex is 15 thousand square
meters, providing fresh water shower, shades, sufficient light and a
bodybuilding gym with experienced instructors.
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Facilities for Men
Men are free to swim in almost all parts of the beach. But they tend to go
to the Marine Club, mainly because it has modern facilities. The men's
complex, north-east of the island, is easily accessible via public transport
or private vehicles.
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Foreign Tourists` Complex
Located east of the island, the "Foreign Tourists" Complex provides modern
foreign holidaymakers with facilities of entertainment at sea.
• Karaneh Sport Club
Karaneh Club is located west of the harbor and port. The club provides
roofed or open-air pools, steam and dry saunas, Jacuzzi, warm-water pool,
and a bodybuilding gym. The athletic compound lies near the beach and
overlooks splendid landscapes from the Persian Gulf.
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Glider Flight
Flight is the long-dreamt desire of humans. Kish offers everybody the chance
of flying on gliders (aircraft without an engine) or on sailplanes. For more
information the interested parties are requested to refer to the Hormoz
Square.
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Child Facilities
Kids and teens can also take home sweet memories from Kish. A few of the
child and teen facilities include: the Game Park, dodgem car track, the
entertainment train going round the Venous Bazaar, cycling track, tennis
court (at the Kish Sports Complex), aquarium, Gazelles Park, swimming
complexes at the beach, Hur Hut and the Riding Club.
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Dodgem Car Track
With traffic signs alongside the track, children can have a pleasant time on
the dodgem car fast track. After taking short instructions on how to drive,
children can experience drive on a standard track stretched along the
harbor.
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Game World
The Game World exists in the buildings near the Kish Hotel. There, children
can play a wide range of interesting computer games with advanced
facilities. The Game World is a rare center in its kind in Iran.
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