Iran - Andrew Burke [236]
Orientation
Bushehr is built on a peninsular jutting into the Persian Gulf. The Old City is at the northern tip and the town centre is Enqelab Sq. The interesting parts of Bushehr are easy enough to explore on foot. Most attractions, hotels and restaurants are in the northern part of Bushehr, which is circled by Khalij-e Fars St (the esplanade). The new bus terminal is about 6km southeast of town.
Information
Amaken (Leyan St; 6am-9pm)
Bank Melli (Leyan St) Exchange on the first floor.
Coffeenet (Leyan St; internet per hr IR10,000; 8.30am-1.30pm & 4-11pm Sat-Thu)
International telephone office (Imam Khomeini St; 7.30am-2pm & 3-11pm)
Main hospital ( 252 6591; Siraf St) Not the best hospital in Iran.
Money exchange (Leyan St; 8am-1pm & 5-8pm Sat-Thu) Better hours, less paperwork.
Police headquarters ( 253 0027/0799; Qods Sq; 8am-2pm) The English-speaking major on the ground floor is a pleasant enough chap and will extend your visa without too much hassle. It takes one or two days, and 30-day extensions are common. For more on extending visas, see ‘More Time, Please’ Click here.
Post office (Valiasr St)
Setar-e Bandar Travel Agency ( 252 8878; Imam Khomeini St) Handles domestic and international air tickets, in English.
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KHALIJ-E FARS
The body of water dividing Iran and the Arabian Peninsula has been known as the Persian Gulf, or Khalij-e Fars in Farsi, since the Greeks called it this more than 2000 years ago. But the rise of Arab nationalism during the 1960s saw that begin to change. Governments and map-makers in Arab countries started referring to the Arabian Gulf, and slowly the name has gained traction.
For Iranians, it’s an outrage. When the Louvre in Paris started referring to the Arabian Gulf a few years ago, and America’s National Geographic Society included Arabian Gulf as an alternative name in its 2004 atlas, Iran responded with a high-level campaign to have them changed back. Historians were wheeled out, ancient maps reproduced and conferences held to support the ‘Persian Gulf’ case. But with Iran not exactly topping any international popularity contests, and the Arab states sitting on much of the world’s oil supply, winning support was not easy. At home it became a nationalist issue and politicians of all stripes railed against the historical injustice. To press home the point they renamed almost every intercity road in the country Khalij-e Fars Hwy. Ordinary Iranians were right behind them.
Eventually, the campaign paid off. While the Arab states will continue to refer to it as the Arabian Gulf, at least independent institutions, including the Louvre and National Geographic relented. The success was celebrated as a national victory in Iran.
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Sights
Whether or not you are enchanted by decaying Bandari buildings and winding kuches (alleys), Bushehr’s Old City is a rarity among the ports of the region in that it offers glimpses of a fast-disappearing way of life. There is little of the traffic and noise found in Bandar Abbas, for example, and as we found it’s easy to lose yourself in the Old City only to end up drinking chay (tea) and eating oranges in the home of a local family.
The densely packed wooden struts that overhang some of the narrow lanes are unique to Bushehr. Of particular interest are the door-knockers shaped like human hands in the northwestern quarter of town. Also check out the pillars and white façade of the Amirieh Edifice (Khalij-e Fars St), which was once home to a rich merchant and more recently a museum.
The crumbling seaside ruins of the British consulate (Khalij-e Fars St) are worth a look for a hint of Bushehr’s former grandeur.
Sleeping
Bushehr has a chronic shortage of decent accommodation. Making things worse, Bushehr’s police still insist that foreigners wanting to stay in a mosaferkhaneh (lodging house) first get a letter of permission from the police. Thankfully it’s a fairly painless process. Go to the Amaken where, if your experience