TEHRAN – The recent restoration project on the 16th-century Portuguese Castle of Hormuz Island, one of the last surviving monuments of the colonial rule in the Persian Gulf, has been stopped by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, IRIB reported. 

The restoration projects and plans need to be approved by the ministry, and as the castle’s restoration project hasn’t been reviewed by the ministry’s experts, it is not validated, said Seyyed Hadi Ahmadi Ruini the director of the ministry’s office for preservation and restoration of historic buildings, textures and sites. 

The ministry’s cultural heritage experts and restorers will be sent to the Island in the near future to inspect the condition of the castle and check its need for restoration, the official added. 

History of the castle goes down in time when Commander Afonso de Albuquerque ordered the construction of a fortress in 1507 after his troops capture the island in the early 16th century.

Made from reddish stones on a rocky promontory at the north end of the island, the stronghold was cut off from the rest of the island by a moat, traces of which still remain. It involves arms depot, water reservoir, barrack, prison, church, command center and central hall.

Muscular-looking walls, chambers and archways as well as sets of rusting cannons in the courtyard still give the area a scenic beauty. In addition, upper levels of the fort offer wonderful views of the island, its village, rugged mountains all surrounded by the blue waters of the Persian Gulf.

ABU/MG