TEHRAN – Consecutive quakes, the strongest of which measured 6.1 magnitude,  have hurt some 50 centuries-old wind towers (badgirs) in southern Iran. 

The earthquakes hit the village of Laft on Qeshm Island in Hormozgan province Early on Saturday, CHTN reported. 

“Powerful quakes and its several aftershocks inflicted damage to 50 wind towers, which are reminiscent of innovative Persian architecture in oasis towns or scorching places,” the provincial tourism chief Sohrab Banavand said on Saturday. 

The Jameh Mosque of the village suffered damage as well, the official said. 

Teams of cultural heritage experts were dispatched to the region and they are on standby to inspect any possible harm to historical sites of the province, the official added. 

Situated on the northern coast of Qeshm Island, Laft is one of the best places in Iran to encounter the fast-disappearing traditional culture of the Persian Gulf.

Perched on a rocky slope overlooking the Khoran Strait, Laft has a wonderfully photogenic roofscape of badgirs (wind towers) and minarets.

According to Lonely Planet, views are best from the hill near the ruins of the Portuguese-built Naderi Fort. “From this vantage point, you’ll also see dozens of ancient wells and a white-domed Ab-Anbar (water cistern).”

Moreover, a few hundred meters north of Laft is one of Qeshm’s many lenge-building yards. These traditional cargo boats are still used to carry goods back and forth across the Persian Gulf. Laft is also the place to go for a boat trip into the nearby Harra Sea Forest.

Qeshm, itself,  embraces a wide range of ecotourism attractions such as the Hara marine forests and about 60 villages dotted mostly across its rocky coastlines. The island has an abundance of wildlife, including birds, reptiles, dolphins, and turtles as well.

Known as the province of islands, Hormozgan province is located on the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf. It embraces scenic islands among which Kish, Hormuz, Hengam, and Qeshm are the most beautiful ones and top tourist destinations in southern Iran.

Laft was registered on the national heritage list in 2006.

ABU/AFM