Bandar Imam
Encyclopedia
Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni is a city in and the capital of Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni District
of Mahshahr County
, Khuzestan Province
, Iran
. At the 2006 census, its population was 67,078, in 14,681 families.
Bandar Imam Khomeini is a port
city
on the Persian Gulf
in Khūzestān Province
, Iran
. Before the 1979 Iranian Revolution
, it was known as Bandar Shahpur. It is named after Ayatollah
Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini
, who was regarded by his followers as an imam
.
The city is home to Petrochimi Bandar Imam
basketball club, which plays in the Iranian Super League.
linking the Persian Gulf
with Tehran
and on to the Caspian Sea
.
During World War II
it consisted only of a jetty, two shipping berths, a railhead and warehouses and a civilian settlement some miles distant. The port was initially in German and Italian hands, but was stormed on August 25, 1941 by a combined British and Indian force
supported by the Royal Navy.
A flotiila led by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Kanimbla had sailed up the waterways and in the raid captured eight Axis vessels, two gunboats and the floating dock. It was at time that, among others, the German ship Hohenfels fell into British hands and became Empire Kamal.
Thereafter it was administered by the US Army 482nd Port Battalion and served as a critical supply point for Allied military aid for Russia. The port facilities were also used for merchant and military vessel layup and repair. Three additional berths were built during the war..
point for containers
, bulk
and general cargo, with exclusive access to the facilities held by Iran Shipping Lines
(IRISL). In 2005 the Iranian Government proposed direct container shipments between the port and western Europe, but negotiations with shipping line
s for dedicated port facilities and access have not concluded.
The Port has seven terminals with 40 berths of about 6,500 metres frontage.
The terminals are supported by warehouses with a capacity of 171,000 m² and open storage areas covering 10.9km².
Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni District
Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni District is a district in Mahshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 68,000, in 14,878 families. The District has one city: Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni....
of Mahshahr County
Mahshahr County
Mahshahr County , also known as Bandar-e Mahshahr County, is a county in Khuzestan Province in Iran. The capital of the county is Bandar-e Mahshahr. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 247,804, in 53,347 families. The county is subdivided into two districts: the Central District and...
, Khuzestan Province
Khuzestan Province
Khuzestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq's Basra Province and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahwaz and covers an area of 63,238 km²...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 67,078, in 14,681 families.
Bandar Imam Khomeini is a port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
on the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
in Khūzestān Province
Khuzestan Province
Khuzestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq's Basra Province and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahwaz and covers an area of 63,238 km²...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Before the 1979 Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
, it was known as Bandar Shahpur. It is named after Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...
, who was regarded by his followers as an imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
.
The city is home to Petrochimi Bandar Imam
Petrochimi Bandar Imam BC
Petrochimi Bandar Imam Basketball Club is an Iranian basketball club based in Mahshahr, Iran. They compete in the Iranian Basketball Super League.-Roster:-Notable former players:-External links:**...
basketball club, which plays in the Iranian Super League.
Port history
The port is located at the terminus of the Trans-Iranian RailwayTrans-Iranian Railway
The Trans-Iranian Railway was a major railway building project started in 1927 and completed in 1938, under the direction of the Persian monarch, Reza Shah, and entirely with indigenous capital. It links the capital Tehran with the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea...
linking the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
with Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
and on to the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it consisted only of a jetty, two shipping berths, a railhead and warehouses and a civilian settlement some miles distant. The port was initially in German and Italian hands, but was stormed on August 25, 1941 by a combined British and Indian force
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
supported by the Royal Navy.
A flotiila led by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Kanimbla had sailed up the waterways and in the raid captured eight Axis vessels, two gunboats and the floating dock. It was at time that, among others, the German ship Hohenfels fell into British hands and became Empire Kamal.
Thereafter it was administered by the US Army 482nd Port Battalion and served as a critical supply point for Allied military aid for Russia. The port facilities were also used for merchant and military vessel layup and repair. Three additional berths were built during the war..
Port operations
The Bandar Imam port is a transshipmentTransshipment
Transshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination....
point for containers
Containerization
Containerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...
, bulk
Bulk cargo
Bulk cargo is commodity cargo that is transported unpackaged in large quantities. This cargo is usually dropped or poured, with a spout or shovel bucket, as a liquid or as a mass of relatively small solids , into a bulk carrier ship's hold, railroad car, or tanker truck/trailer/semi-trailer body...
and general cargo, with exclusive access to the facilities held by Iran Shipping Lines
Iran Shipping Lines
The maritime fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines comprises 115 ocean-going vessels with the total capacity of . The ownership structure of the fleet comprises 87 ocean-going vessels in IRISL and 28 different types of ships under the flag of subsidiaries, including Khazar Shipping,...
(IRISL). In 2005 the Iranian Government proposed direct container shipments between the port and western Europe, but negotiations with shipping line
Shipping line
-History of shipping lines:Large-scale shipping lines became widespread in the nineteenth century, after the development of the steamship in 1783. At first, Great Britain was the centr of development; in 1819, the first steamship crossing of the Atlantic Ocean took place and by 1833, shipping lines...
s for dedicated port facilities and access have not concluded.
The Port has seven terminals with 40 berths of about 6,500 metres frontage.
| Type | Berths | Depth (m) |
Quay length (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General cargo | 29 | 12 | 3512 |
| Containers | 5 | 11 | 1051 |
| Grain silos | 2 | 12 | 560 |
| Barges | 1 | 6 | 842 |
| Gulf | 1 | 5 | 307 |
| Trans Terminal | 1 | 4 | 75 |
| Iron ore (unloading) | 1 | 15 | 220 |
The terminals are supported by warehouses with a capacity of 171,000 m² and open storage areas covering 10.9km².