TEHRAN -- Once again the restoration of southern Iran’s Portuguese castles was discussed during a meeting in Tehran on Sunday.

Based on the discussions between the Portuguese Ambassador to Tehran Jose Fernando Moreira da Cunha and Iran’s Fund for the Restoration and Utilization of Historical Sites Managing Director Ali-Asghar Parhizkar, the castles will be restored in a collaborative effort by Iran and Portugal.
Experts from Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) will enjoy the collaboration of Portugal to restore the castles, the Persian service of CHN reported on Monday.
Da Cunha urged that the restoration of the castles should be carried out to counter the damages to them caused by the natural forces.
Parhizkar and Da Cunha along with a team of Iranian experts are scheduled to visit the castles in order to start the planning for the restoration project.
No date was mentioned by the report for the trip and project.
Iran and Portugal had already discussed the restoration of the Portuguese Castle on the Persian Gulf island of Hormoz in 2006. However, no restoration was carried out on the monument as a result of the discussions.
The Portuguese castles were constructed in southern Iran after the Portuguese viceroy Alfonso de Albuquerque attacked Hormoz Island in the Persian Gulf in 1507 during the reign of Safavid dynasty (1502–1736).
They left several castles on the Iranian islands of Hormoz, Qeshm, and Larak and in the port of Kong as legacies of their colonial exploits in the Persian Gulf during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Photo: The Portuguese Castle on the Persian Gulf island of Hormoz