Ashuradeh is the name of an island in the Miankaleh peninsula, 10 km west of Bandar Torkaman in northern Iran.

With an area of 1200 meters in the past, Ashuradeh was once one of the most notable wetlands in the entire world. Today, Ashuradeh has a surface area of about 320 hectares, and the local population has left the island, leaving only the employees of the Iran Fisheries Organization to live there.

Some people believe that the word “Ashuradeh” means "hunting ground" or “pasture". There is also historical speculation that Ashuradeh was a place where one of the kings of the Khwarazmian dynasty (1077-1231) fled after his defeat during the Mongol invasion of Iran, according to Visit Iran, the official travel guide to the country.

One of the historical landmarks in Ashuradeh is the ruins of Safavid fortresses that remain. Ashuradeh was a royal hunting ground in the Safavid era (1501-1736). The "Russian Fortress", the "House of the Russian Minister" and the "Wooden Church" are the relics from the Russian invasion of Iran in 1837. During the Pahlavi era (1925-1979), the Russian castle was used as an outpost, many parts of which are now destroyed.

The fauna of the island includes foxes, jackals, wild cats, pigs, wild horses, etc. Indigenous and migratory birds such as pheasant, white and black geese, flamingos, pelicans as well as aquatic animals like salmon, and starry sturgeon also live in this environment. Among the vegetation of Ashuradeh, sour pomegranate trees, and raspberry bushes can be named but a few.

Ashuradeh can be reached via Torkaman Island. If you want to travel and visit this marvelous attraction by your vehicle, you should park and leave your car in the Bandar Torkaman and use boats to cross over the sea through Ashuradeh Island. While visiting this island, you can get a lot of pleasure from browsing the local market, the dunes of Ashuradeh, and watching hunting sturgeons.

It is worth mentioning that about half of the starry sturgeon caviar of Iran is hunted from the shores of Ashuradeh. After returning from the Island, it is highly recommended to visit the local Bazaar in Bandar Torkaman. The best time of visiting this attraction is from spring until early fall.

AFM