Bushehr (; ) is a port city in the Central District of Bushehr County, Bushehr province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county and the district.
Etymology
The roots of the name "Bushehr" are uncertain. It is unlikely that it is derived from Abū Šahr ("father of the city"), a theory which remains popular. It may be an abbreviation of Bokht-Ardashir ("Ardashir has given"), though this is not backed by conclusive evidence.. Scholars such as Zana Salehrad argue that the name Bushehr may come from an ancient Persian root, possibly “Būsh” meaning “fort” or “stronghold,” combined with “Her” meaning “place” or “settlement.” This theory suggests that Bushehr was originally recognized as a fortified coastal settlement, protecting trade routes along the Persian Gulf. Its strategic location and natural harbor made it an important center for commerce, defense, and maritime activity throughout history. In this sense, the name Bushehr reflects both the city’s strength and its enduring connection to the sea and the people who relied on it for livelihood.
History
Origins
A number of alleged premodern references to Bushehr, including the first made by an Arab geographer in 1225, have been disputed as perhaps alluding to the modern city of Reishahr, a harbor 10 km to the south, where archaeological evidence points to the presence of a much older settlement. Reishahr is also most likely equivalent to the town of Mesambria, a place the Greeks knew since the campaign of Nearchus (died 300 BC), and which also has been occasionally identified with Bushehr.
Rise
In 1734, Iranian military commander Nader Shah made Bushehr, then still a minor fishing village, the headquarters of the Persian Gulf fleet that he sought to create. This marked the start of Bushehr's rising importance. In order to build a massive warship, Nader even brought heavy wood from Mazandaran's forests, which was 1,000 km away from Bushehr. The shell of this ship drew notice from European travelers for the next 50 years. The naval aspirations of Nader ended when he was murdered in 1747, but Bushehr continued to serve as a prominent port for at least the following 150 years. Between 1737 and 1753, the Dutch East India Company operated a trading post in Bushehr.
In 1763, the Arab ruler of Bushehr Sheikh Nasr Al-Madhkur granted the British East India Company the right to build a base and trading and 'residency' post there, securing the monopoly of the import of woolen goods into Persia to the exclusion of other European nations. It was used as a base by the British Royal Navy in the late 18th century. In the 19th century, Bushehr became an important commercial port. It was occupied by British forces in 1856, during the Anglo-Persian War 1856-1857. Bushehr surrendered to the British in December 1856.
Aside from Bushehr's strategic significance—being situated 300 km from Shiraz and 600 km from that of Ottoman-ruled Basra—the place offered few benefits and numerous drawbacks. The town and its surrounding area were somewhat shielded by the interior's hilly terrain and narrow gorges, but were still vulnerable to pirate intrusion. In the 19th century, European ships had to dock around four kilometers offshore and transfer freight and passengers through small boats, due to the shallow path to both the shoreline and the bay. Despite the numerous windcatchers on top of the houses, the water in the wells was salty, and the summer heat and humidity were unbearable.
The main commercial port of Iran
Bushehr soon replaced Bandar Abbas as the country's most important commercial port. This was because of Iran's political and economic centre being moved to Shiraz under the Zand ruler Karim Khan Zand (), who had established his authority in western Iran.
thumb|A 1923 map of Bushehr and the surrounding area
Demographics
Language
Linguistic composition of the city.