Kish Island
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Kish Island جزیرهی کیش Kish |
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Dariush Grand Hotel in Kish.
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| Nickname(s): Pearl of the Persian Gulf | |
 Kish Island
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| Coordinates: 26°32′N 53°58′E / 26.533°N 53.967°ECoordinates: 26°32′N 53°58′E / 26.533°N 53.967°E | |
| Country | Iran |
| Province | Hormozgān Province |
| Area | |
| • Land | 91.5 km2 (35.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 22,650 |
| • Metro | 26,000 |
| Time zone | IRST (UTC+3:30) |
| Website |
Kish Free Zone Organization Hormozgan Province |
Kish (Persian: کیش 
listen ) is a 91.5-square-kilometre (35.3 sq mi) resort island in the Persian Gulf. It is part of the Hormozgān Province of Iran. Owing to its free trade zone status it is touted as a consumer's paradise, with numerous malls, shopping centres, tourist attractions, and resort hotels. It has an estimated population of 26,000 residents and about 1 million people visit the island annually.
Kish Island was ranked among the world’s 10 most beautiful islands by The New York Times in 2010, and is the fourth most visited vacation destination in Southwest Asia after Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Sharm el-Sheikh. Foreign nationals wishing to enter Kish Free Zone from legal ports are not required to obtain visas prior to travel. Valid travel permits are stamped for 14 days by airport and Kish port police officials.
Kish Island has been mentioned in history variously as Kamtina, Arakia (Ancient Greek: Αρακία), Arakata, and Ghiss.
Kish Island's strategic position served as a way-station and link for the ancient Assyrian and Elamite civilizations when their primitive sailboats navigated from Susa through the Karun River into the Persian Gulf along the southern coastline passing Kish, Qeshm and Hormoz islands. When these civilizations vanished, Kish Island's advantageous position was lost and for a period it was subjected to turmoil and the tyranny of local potentates and other vendors. With the establishment of the Achaemenid dynasty, the Persian Gulf was profoundly affected. Kish was, in particular, economically and politically linked with the civilization of the Medes, Persians when they were at the height of their power.
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Wikipedia