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Bandar-e Bushehr, also called Bushehr is a port city and the capital of Bushehr province which lies near the head of the Persian Gulf in southwestern Iran. The altitude of Bushehr is 18 meters above sea level, and according to the last census, the population of this city was 223,405 which makes it the third populous city in southern Iran. Because of being located by the Persian Gulf, Bushehr has been an important trade city for centuries and today it is one of the industrial cities of Iran. March 6th (18th of Esfand on the Persian calendar) is marked as the National Day of Bushehr in Iran.
Bushehr is located in the north end of a 14km long peninsula on the coast of the Persian Gulf. Bushehr’s climate is semi-tropical with very hot and humid summers and pleasant winter. The temperature range is +35 to +40 degrees centigrade during summer and +10 to +20 degrees centigrade during winter. The humidity range during Winter is %40 to %80 and it reaches to %99 in Summer.
Bushehr is believed to be constructed during the reign of king Nader of the Afsharid Dynasty (1736–1796) when he set up a naval base there near a much older Elamite city named Liyan. Bushehr became a principal place for Britain after they relocated their post from Bandar-e Abbas to Bandar-e Bushehr in the 1780s and it became the seat of their political resident later in the 19th century. Except being an important port, Bushehr is famous for its nuclear power plant which is the first nuclear power plant in Iran.
Like many other port cities, fishing plays a major role in the local economy of Bushehr and fresh catch of the day is always available at the Bushehr fish market therefore it is obvious that Bushehr is well-known for its seafood dishes like Qalieh Mahi ( a type of spicy fish stew) and Qalieh Meigoo (a type of spicy shrimp stew). So do not miss trying these tasty dishes if you are visiting Bushehr.
Bushehr is also a notable center for the construction of very special hand-built wooden boats which are known as Lenj and are used by the inhabitants of southern Iran to sail, trade and fish on the Persian Gulf. The skill of building Lenj (traditional boats) was designated as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011.
