Restoration increases number of visitors to Portuguese Castle

TEHRAN,April 29(MNA) -- A tour guide has said that the demand for visiting the Portuguese Castle has increased after the restoration of the monument on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf. “The castle was in ruins and there was no stele to introduce the monument, consequently tourists had no inclination to visit it,” Mohammad Manzarnejad told on Friday. “But, the conditions have been changed after the restoration was carried out on the monument last year,” he added. He said that the high level of tourists’ motivations for visiting the Portuguese Castle has brought prosperity to the local residents on Qeshm Island and they know this fact. Visitors extend their stay at the castle due to the charming atmosphere that has been created around it, he stated. According to Manzarnejad, several restaurants serving local foods and supermarkets have opened around. In addition, meals and handicrafts are also offered by local women in a bazaar near the castle. The castle is scheduled to host a special program today for the National Persian Gulf Day. The castle is one of several fortresses, which are the legacies of Portuguese colonialism in the Persian Gulf during the 16th and 17th centuries. According to an agreement signed between Iran and Portugal, a team of experts from the two countries teamed up in April 2009 to restore the castles. However, Portugal withdrew from the restoration plan due to the sanctions imposed on Iran by a number of European countries. The castles were constructed in the region after the Portuguese viceroy Alfonso de Albuquerque attacked Hormoz Island in the Persian Gulf in 1507 during the reign of Safavid dynasty (1502–1736). The first was built on Hormoz Island. Safavid king Shah Abbas I (1587-1629) wrested the island from the Portuguese in 1622. The Portuguese left several other castles on the island of Larak and in the port of Kong in southern Iran.