🕒 3 minute read
Larc (locally called Larak) Island is one of the less touristy Islands of Persian Gulf that is untouched and mostly uninhabited, however, it is residential still but this is not too much in comparison with Qeshm and Hormoz due to being located in vicinity of Qeshm Island.
Larak is one of the top destinations to travel in winter time for domestic tourists because it has been reported as one of the highlight of trip to southern iran in National geography magazine back in 2015.
History of Larak dates back to 16th century, when Larak Island has been occupied by the Dutch, Portuguese and British for some time since the 16th century. Facilities, military forts with artillery equipment, and watchtowers can still be seen on Lark Island; Works that show the importance of this island in the past.
During the reign of Shah Abbas back in 16th century, this island came under the control of the Iranian government at the same time as occupying other islands in the Strait of Hormuz. In the eighteenth century, the Strait of Hormuz and its islands were the focus of the Arabs of Oman and Muscat, especially the Arabs of Jawsam.
This focus was more on the Strait of Hormuz islands, especially the Lark, Hengam, Hormoz and Qeshm islands. They were very important due to their proximity to Oman and also due to their location at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz.
There are references to the antiquity of this island in various historical texts. Narek, the famous Macedonian historian, says of Lark: After a few days, ships arrived from Kish Island to an uninhabited island called Arqana (Lark).
Sadid, a tourist of the Qajar period, reports about this island: There are forts on Lark Island that are said to have been founded by Nader Shah (today it is known to belong to the Portuguese and belong to the Safavid period).
There are now two hundred families and fishermen living in that castle, and they have a few palms, and the water of the wells of Guava and the pond of rainwater. Lark Island has two villages, one of which is Tiab, which has a population of one hundred and has a special language whose roots are Persian. The second is the high mountain, which has a population of about one hundred people and is spoken in Persian. There is no agriculture on this island, but it is suitable for fishing and fish is caught in abundance and is transported to Bandar Abbas and other islands every day.
One of the cultural and historical attractions of Lark Island is the Portuguese fort, which was built during the Safavid period and during the Portuguese control over the Persian Gulf. This fort is historically contemporaneous with the Portuguese forts of Hormoz and Qeshm.
Larc’s Portuguese forts are made of mortar, coral and marine stones. This fort is the largest fort of the Portuguese in the Persian Gulf after the fort of Hormoz Island and has survived due to its wooden columns.
Unfortunately, Lark does not have many amenities, which is why most tourists have a half-day trip to the island. The village has only one shop from where the islanders buy their necessities. The only vehicle that can be found on the island is a motorcycle, in small numbers. There are only a few cars across the island. In fact, the island lacks a standard road and is connected by only a dirt road around the island.
To climb the salt dome and volcanic mountains and the highest point of the island, which is 151 meters above sea level, or the ruins of the island’s historic settlements and cemetery, you have to walk all the way. Of course, walking on this path is not boring and you can see the beauty and color of the island’s soil. The beach of this island is so pristine that you can see all kinds of decorative oysters and corals along the beach. You can also buy foods such as shrimp, poultry, halibut and grilled fish if you talk to locals and buy from them.