Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Arabian beach break, you're better off stopping in the UAE or Oman on your way home.
But if you're after a taste of Iran - albeit Iran 'lite' - the fact that foreigners don't require
a visa to visit Kish (14-day visas are available on entry but do not extend to the mainland)
makes Kish a destination worth considering.
History
Kish Island is first recorded in the memoirs of Nearchus, the Greek sailor commissioned
by Alexander the Great to explore the Persian Gulf in 325 BC. In the Middle Ages Kish
became an important trading centre under its own powerful Arab dynasty and at one time
supported a population of 40,000. The main town was Harireh, which is believed to be the
town referred to by poet Sa'di in his famous work,
Golestan
(Rose Garden).
Kish was known for the quality of its pearls; when Marco Polo was visiting the imperial
court in China, he remarked on the beauty of the pearls worn by one of the emperor's
wives and was told they had come from Kish. In the 14th century Kish fell into decline
and remained obscure until the 1970s, when it was developed as a semiprivate retreat for
the shah and his guests - complete with international airport, luxury hotels and a casino.
Sights
