TEHRAN—A national conference will be held in Siraf to examine in greater detail the artistic and cultural heritage of the ancient port city, which is bordered on the south by the Persian Gulf.

Global and regional interactions, intangible cultural heritage, linguistic developments, historical inscriptions and texts, popular culture, anthropology, and tourist destinations are among the elements to be discussed at the conference.

The national conference will be held in spring 2023, according to organizers.

Siraf was Iran’s most important port from the Sassanid period to the 4th century AH. It bears plentiful evidence of Persian mastership and genius in seafaring, international relations, and interaction with other near and far cultures and civilizations.

Between 1966 and 1973, the British Institute of Persian Studies conducted seven seasons of excavation and survey at Siraf, which was a major city on the Iranian shore of the Persian Gulf that played a leading role in the network of maritime trade that supplied Western Asia with the products of India, the Far East and Eastern Africa between 800 CE and 1050.

Siraf had a population of about 300,000 during the early Islamic era and this fact shows that it was a large city. However, today, just about 7,000 people live in Siraf in a small area.

The historical and architectural monuments of Bushehr include Islamic buildings like mosques and praying centers, mansions, old towers, castles, as well as gardens. Moreover, Bushehr embraces significant monuments from the Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid eras.

Furthermore, Bushehr is home to various archaeological mounds, including Tall-e Khandaq with Sassanid architectural style, Tall-e Marv located near an Achaemenid Palace, and Qajar era Malek al-Tojar Mansion.

AM