Persian Fjords: Home of the Kumzari Pt.2
The secluded village of Kumzar forces any interested explorers to take to the seas to make its acquaintance. Speeding over the choppy waves of the Persian Gulf, it would take you an hour to navigate the fjords and find the village. Depending upon the state of the waters, you’re in for either a swift but pleasant ride or a more laborious and temperamental sailing. Our morning jaunt to the village was on the pleasant end of the spectrum, with gentle waves carrying us along as we were awestruck by the tremendous, unmovable seaside mountains. The imposing and unbreakable rocks rose up from the waters and watched as we embarked on a trip, they had seen many take before. We weaved through the inlets as our boat captain steered us back into a deep cove of peaceful waters that contains the reclusive Kumzari people.
Hidden in plain sight
After meandering through the streets along the beach, Abdullah took us to a relative’s house for lunch. As hospitality is a natural feature of the Gulf, we were given as many candied dates and chai as we had space for, only to find out that the main entrée was on its way. Our midday meal was brought in on a large silver platter with a colorful cone-shaped cover, which, when removed, revealed our lunch, a massive pile of saffron rice, vegetables, and a plate of whole cooked fish. Since the Kumzari have been a fishing people for generations, it was natural that we would have fish, and it was exquisitely cooked in a way only this fishing village could manage. After an hour or so of discussion about the history and people of Kumzar and sufficiently stuffed from the offering of our gracious hosts, we shuffled back to the boat for a much choppier and more turbulent ride back to Khasab. Fighting the seas, we crashed about on the waves, catching air and hoping just to make it back to land in one piece. Having made it back to the port, we stopped right outside of the inlet for one last cup of coffee with our captain and glided back to our dock on smooth Persian waters.
In the shadow of the massive, parched mountains, the small village hid from the oppressive sun. The clear blue waters steadily yet insistently beat against the shore as we made it to land. Instead of a smooth, sandy beach, we exited the boat onto a shore of smooth, walnut-sized stones. Once you’ve made your way off the beach, you walk right into the village. A tightly packed hamlet with houses fitted together with only narrow alleyways between. Aside from the cramped nature of the village, the second thing you’d notice is the sheer number of goats roaming the village, walking and sleeping wherever they can.
February, 2026