Bahu District

Bahu district (Persian:باهو) also known as " Bahu Kalat district" is a district located at Chabahar County in the south east of Iran, Sistan va Baluchistan province. Bahu district includes a large area in the eastern side of Bahu Kalat river, between the Iran-Pakistan border to the east, Gwatar harbor to the south and Pishin District to the north, Bahu Kalat is the largest village and centre of Bahu.

Historical features

Bahu had a long history and was stronghold of sardars in south Baluchistan, nowadays some aspects of this history could be seen in the form of burnt villages , castles ,mosques, wheat storages but as a result of remoteness and lack of government interests no research have been developed to deeply specify its archaeological characteristics.

Dambkou site in balure-machi village is one of the most researched ancient archaeological feature of Bahu. This site was first surveyed by major E-mockler who published his research in 1877 (mockler 1877:126). About 55 years later on the basis of his information Aurel Stein visited the site during his journey to Baluchistan in 1932 and proceeded to more detail and systematic survey. Amongst the numerous graves, he excavated 42 of them containing quite a lot of goods. According to Stein's research there is also exist a residential and industrial zone.

Natural features

Th nature of Bahu is among the most distinguished in Iran, and the Bahu Kalat River is at its center. This is the habitat for the Iranian mugger crocodile or (gando)-- a rare species that survives in this and three other nearby river basins in the extreme southeastern Iran, above the port of Chabahar. Along the river, this region has a fertile land for agriculture purposes, but it is dependent to seasonal rains and vulnerable to draught. Sustained draughts dry up the river completely dry. Only the moist soil and small pools left by seasonal rains keep the nature alive, in the 1990s Iranian government projected a dam in the northern end of Bahu (Pishin) to reserve water for agricultural and human consumption , lands which close to the dam are cultivated by variety of agricultural products specially watermelons that is being exported to internal and external markets .

Southern end of bahu district is the gwatar harbor, this harbor is located in a strategic location, and for several years was on the control of colonialists, especially Portuguese, nowadays remains of colonial castle are in place, aquaculture is the main economic potential of south bahu, in the way that saltwater shrimp could be cultivated two times in one season.

Historical features

Natural features

See also