The popularity of the “Persian Sea” and its worldwide fame has not only been because of its commercial and navigation peculiarities but also is due to the fact that its banks and nearby lands are known to be the cradle of civilization.
This great commercial waterway of the Old World gradually established itself near Iran’s southern plains some 500,000 years ago. It covered around 10 percent of Asia, and is the source of over 50 percent of the world’s oil and gas reservoirs.
This waterway benefits from a special geographic position because it bridges the East and the West. Thus, its distinctive position makes it an important and necessary region to study in terms of its strategic, military and significant role in international affairs.
Traces of “human habitation” from early times are seen in different layers of the earth in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman region, an area that spans around 3,000 kilometers. The issue of urban settlement and identity around the Persian Gulf is a novel subject in an old and exceptional context. It should also be noted that the cultural architecture values of any given nation, tribe or territory belongs to the whole human community. Therefore, its understanding and assessment is an absolute necessity in achieving sustainable architecture.
The Exhibition on Urban Settlement and Identity of the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman Region is trying to uncover the untold secrets of the presence of man beyond the region’s history. It aims to open the gates to the issue of urban habitation and identity in the area.
This exhibition showcases a rudimentary review of the architectural values remaining from the region’s past. It includes visual documents and texts gathered from more than 30 major cities in the region. It aims to attract the attention of elite professionals in addition to all interested individuals in this subject in line with the dialogue on the vast arena of architecture in this region.
M. R. Javadi
Iranian Architecture / Architectural Researcher
