Story of a Trailing Spouse: Khuzestan...(1)

cruising over the Zagros mountain range...

As-Salaam,

Just been back from a three-day weekend visit to one of Iran's southern provinces, Khuzestan. It was jointly organised by the province's Arvand Free Zone Organisation and the Foreign Ministry for foreign diplomats and their spouses.

Leaving Tehran's Mehrabad airport at around half past nine on Thursday morning, we landed at Abadan airport just slightly over an hour later. As forecasted, the weather in this southern city was in the 30s, befitting its hot and dry climate throughout the year with even mild winter.

Popularly known as the Land of Black Gold, the province of Khuzestan is located on the north shores of the cobalt blue waters of the Persian Gulf, in the south-western part of Iran. This is the country's oil-rich region with enormous economic and strategic significance. Although oil was first discovered (in 1908) at Masjed Soleyman, some hundred over kilometers further north, Abadan today remains a vast facility for refining the country's petroleum and gas product.

Indeed the Arvand Free Zone was the first itinerary of our visit program in the afternoon, a security zone surrounding Khorramshahr, Abadan and Minoo Island along the Arvand waterway (also known as Shatt al-Arab in Iraq). This is where the Karoon river, the province's and indeed Iran's largest and only navigable river, joins with the Arvand Rud river at Qarneh, and flow alongside the city of Basra in neighbouring Iraq, before ultimately reaches the Persian Gulf. Hence the way of life in this region is so greatly influenced by its proximity to the sea and the free waters, making the surrounding area an interesting sight.

Our next stop was the city of Khorramshahr, touring around its huge port and shipping area before heading towards the city's famed war museum. This was the battle front city along the Iraqi border where the fiercest battle took place during the eight-year war with Iraq. It was eventually liberated and our visit to the museum really brings back all the memories of the most painful episode of the country's recent history.

Our last program of the day was a brief tour of Abadan's only church building located next to a mosque complex along one of the city's main thoroughfares. However, before joining our hubbies for the late dinner at the Karvansara hotel later in the evening, it was time for the trailing spouses to be rewarded with some refreshing (and long-awaited) moments to freely wander around the city's main bazaar...!!

Wassalam.