TEHRAN – Iranian tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan on Monday inaugurated a vast museum of cultural heritage and anthropology in the port city of Bushehr, southern Iran.

Named “Persian Gulf Regional Museum”, it is aimed to help preserve and promote arrays of regional cultural heritage, history, and rituals through heritage collections, exhibitions, workshops, and other public programs.

“300 historical relics, dating from prehistorical times to the contemporary era, have so far been put on show at the Persian Gulf Regional Museum, which has 15 galleries,” Bushehr province’s tourism chief Mohammad-Hossein Arastouzadeh said, addressing the opening ceremony.

“In addition to historical relics belonging to Bushehr province, the Persian Gulf Regional Museum exhibits the ones, which have been collected from the [neighboring] provinces of Khuzestan and Hormozgan,” the official said. 

The Persian Gulf Regional Museum is a place to display [slices of] the history and nature of the Persian Gulf region. There are many different spaces within the museum to display historical objects, anthropology, and customs of the region, including music, clothing, and handicrafts, he explained.

The main building of the museum, which is one of the country’s modern museums, was once a British Consulate, which was built in the Qajar era (1789–1925), according to the official.

With over 6,000 years of history and significant monuments from the Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid eras, Bushehr province is one of Iran’s most important historical centers.

Besides its cultural heritage, beautiful beaches and lush palm groves make it an attractive destination for world travelers. The historical and architectural monuments of Bushehr include Islamic buildings like mosques and praying centers, mansions, old towers, castles, as well as gardens.

When it comes to cultural attractions, there are many historical mounds in Bushehr including Tall-e Khandaq with Sassanid architectural style, Tall-e Marv located near an Achaemenid Palace, and Qajar era Malek al-Tojar Mansion. Qajar era Kazeruni Mansion, which has been inscribed on the World Heritage List, is another attraction that world travelers love to see among various ancient sites.

Traveling to the Persian Gulf region would be an experience that you probably haven’t even considered. While you’ve been planning your Iranian sojourn around the jewels of the country’s rich history (Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd), to the southeast the Persian Gulf is equally deserving.

Explore the magnetic islands of Kish, Qeshm, and Hormuz, which are absurdly easy to combine and are altogether different. While Kish is unashamedly glam and glitzy, Qeshm and Hormoz are refreshingly void of large-scale development and offer a chance to glimpse a more traditional way of life – not to mention an array of geological wonders. Along the coast, soak up the vibes of lively Bandar Abbas and make a beeline for the delightful town of Kong, whose historical center is peppered with charming old houses and monuments.

AFM/