Siraf: Persia’s Port to the World
Caption
Siraf, on the Gulf coast of Bushehr, was a harbour for Sasanian and early Islamic trade with East Africa, India and China. It has been on UNESCO's Tentative List since 2007; Alamut was inscribed in July 2026. #Siraf #PersianGulf
Image description
Infographic titled Siraf, Persia's Port to the World on a deep terracotta-brown background, with three photo slots and a map of Iran with a red dot on the southern coast. Five panels: a map of the Indian Ocean with dotted trade routes from Siraf to Basra, Muscat, Calicut, Zanzibar and Guangzhou, and a strip of goods (ivory, ebony, spices, pearls, Chinese ceramics); a schematic section of a rock-cut cistern with a shaft and water chamber; a plan of the Friday mosque, about 55 m square on a 2 m platform; a timeline from the Sasanian era through the 9th century, trade worth 2.53 million dinars in 908 to 932, the 977 earthquake and the fall of the Buyids in 1055; and a status ladder showing Siraf on the UNESCO Tentative List and Alamut inscribed in July 2026.
