Iran commemorates Persian Gulf Day

01 May 2011 | 13:41 Code : 12338 Latest Headlines
 Press TV--Iran has marked the national Persian Gulf Day to protect the waterway's cultural and historical identity, serving as one of the important symbols of national identity.

A large number of Iranians gathered on the grounds of the Portuguese Castle on Hormoz Island in Hormozgan province on Saturday to mark the day, and artists and scholars from Iranian provinces also held the first International Cultural and Artistic Persian Gulf Festival, a Press TV correspondent reported. 

In a statement issued on the occasion, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praised the organizers of the festival, and expressed hope that such events would help protect the identity of the Persian Gulf.

While historical documents show that the waterway has always been referred to as the 'Persian Gulf,' certain Arab states have recently mounted efforts to remove 'Persian' from the name of the waterway. 

Iran designated April 30 as the national Persian Gulf Day to highlight the fact that the waterway has been referred to by historians and ancient texts as 'Persian' since the Achaemenid Empire was established in what is now modern day Iran. 

National Persian Gulf Day marks the anniversary of the expulsion of Portuguese military forces from the Strait of Hormoz in 1622, during the reign of Safavid king Shah Abbas I (1587-1629).