Sacred Fig

A very strange and attractive plant grows on the coasts of the Persian Gulf. With its thick trunk, Sacred fig looks very different than the rest of the old trees. It grows in the southern lands of Iran, and the tourists go to Qom and Kish to visit them. The local people consider this tree to be holy, although they also call it Lor or the Woman’s Guile.

This tree grows more in India and Southeast Asia. It was introduced in Iran during the Timurid and Seljuk dynasties. Today they can be seen in Gheshm, Kish, and Chabahar. The attractive feature of Sacred fig is its trunk. In the beginning, it looks like a typical tree trunk, but the more it grows, the more some of its branches curve toward the earth and eventually grow roots. And some of the branches grow roots into the air. As time goes by, all the branches add to the size and volume of the tree. Besides, should a seed fall onto another tree, it grows roots, too.

Sacred fig only grows in tropical weather with high humidity. That is why it grows in Hormozgan. The Buddhists believe if one attends and takes care of this tree and he will reach enlightenment. They also call it Indian fig and consider it holy.

Sacred fig is an evergreen tree. Its leaves grow like a crown on its top. It has orange edible fruits. The experience of seeing a one-hundred-year-old tree with its green leaves can be so exciting that they attract many tourists to Turian District of Gheshm Island. The trees of Kish are about five hundred to six hundred years old. The Sacred fig forest of Kish is located close to the Valley of Portuguese. In the past, the locals used to tie pieces of parchments to the branches in the hope that their prayers would be answered. Today this area has been surrounded by protecting rails and the ties have been removed to prevent any harm. There are two entrances on this site. One of them is also the entrance to the city of Harireh. The other is close to the traditional Ab Anbar of Kish. Therefore you can visit other attractions of Kish when visiting the evergreen trees. A walking path, barbeque, and gazebos have been installed on the site to accommodate the travelers.

Sacred figs can be seen on the beach road and the villages of Chabahar. The local people use its fruit, which looks like a hazelnut, as a kind of mouth rinse.