Siraf
Siraf is an ancient port city located in the Persian Gulf that prospered during the medieval period with maritime trade. It played an important role in facilitating maritime trade and connecting the Indian Ocean and Chinese routes with maritime routes in the Gulf region. The first connections with South China appear to have taken place in 185. Siraf had its heyday in the 4th century. In the 11th century commercial activities declined in the Gulf, the region experienced a deep economic decline and Siraf was abandoned, while maritime trade was prospering in the Red Sea.
The site shows a great archeological heritage dating from Sassanid, Parthian and Islamic eras and evidence suggests that the ancient remains in the city and the underwater sections were once part of the same larger port city, before a part of it was submerged. Three potential causes can explain such submergence: volcanic activity that can cause earth movements, erosion or an earthquake.
