Step inside Qeshm’s boatyards and meet the weathered master-craftsmen who still build enormous wooden lanj from memory — every plank a story, every hammer strike a song.
The Qeshm boat-building workshop is a place full of stories waiting to be told. For people in the south, "lanj" is not just a kind of vessel — it is a living concept: you can see it, hear it and even talk to it. The idea of the lanj is intertwined with the figure of the captain. People in different parts of the world imagine captains differently because different tales about them are told.
In the imagination of many Iranians, a captain is usually a dark-complexioned man wearing a regional southern dishdasha and a kaffiyeh around his head to protect against the fierce sun. That image becomes complete when we see the southern man at the helm of a lanj, steering into the heart of the sea while the lanj’s horn blends with the sound of the waves — a collective symphony of man and nature.
A lanj is a kind of seafaring craft larger than a boat but smaller than a ship. Lanjs sail only in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean. Perhaps the reason lanj is so linked to the spirit and life of southern Iran is the long-standing devotion of these traditional vessels to this region. In this issue of Alibaba Travel Magazine, we travel with these beloved boats and their builders.
The Qeshm boat-building workshop holds as many stories as a Shahnameh (an epic). At the workshop you encounter a distinctive way of life with thousands of tales and oral traditions. In some corners you see young lanj under construction in different stages, impatient to be launched and to start their maritime adventures with captains they have not yet met.
In another corner you see vessels worn out and tired, which have briefly bid the sea farewell and come to the workshop for repair and restoration. If you sit and listen to the lanj captains, you'll find every crack in the old hulls has a story: once a storm shattered the wood; once a submerged rock struck the hull; sometimes large fish even dashed against the sides — each mark a chapter of experience.
When you reach the workshop it feels like you have traveled back in time and stepped into the story of Noah — a time when God instructed Noah how to build the Ark. Noah obeyed the command even when it wasn’t raining; he built the ship in faith.
I recommend that when you arrive at the Qeshm boat-building workshop you look up the Noah story online and read the account while you are there; doing so will make you feel as if you’ve traveled back in time, hearing the sound of nails and hammers like Noah’s companions, and you will feel an urge to join them.
The tales of the workshop are far from finished; the real story begins when you converse with the jalaf or galaaf — the master boatwrights. These are the craftsmen who have built lanj for years, learning the trade from their fathers and passing it on to their sons.
Living among Qeshm locals
photo credit: Moshgh
What’s more striking is that the blueprint of no lanj is ever drawn on paper: everything is stored in the minds of these masters. They pass what they hold in their heads to their apprentices, who, following the elders’ instructions, bring the craft to life. In the Qeshm boat-building workshop everyone is like Noah’s companions — and there are no disobedient lads among them.
Qeshm boat-building workshop
photo credit: Hormozgan Magazine
Names of the boat-building workshops
The Gooran workshop is the largest centre for building various lanj types on Qeshm. Other, smaller workshops exist in places such as Laft and the Kaveh industrial zone — but the Gooran workshop is the most famous and visited as a tourist attraction. There are several villages named Gooran in different parts of Iran; the name comes from “Gabr” and was once pronounced “Gabran.” Historically, “Gabr” referred to Zoroastrians who had fire temples; over time the name evolved.
Boat-building workshops are not as famous as other Qeshm sights. Many visitors leave Qeshm without ever knowing to visit these locations, missing the chance to sit with and learn from warm-hearted southern seafarers.
I’m pleased that you have discovered this attraction and have read this piece in Alibaba’s travel section. Please be among the tourists who include a visit to this unique attraction in their Qeshm itinerary!
Who works at the Gooran boat-building workshop?
Boat-building is a primary source of livelihood in the south — therefore when you visit the workshop you’ll mostly see people dressed in authentic southern clothing. If luck is on your side and you arrive at the right time, you may hear ney-anban (bagpipe-like instrument), oud, drums and cymbals; even if you carry an old, century-long sorrow in your chest, the lively southern music will lighten the weight and lift your spirits.
There are typically no formal training courses at the workshops; occasionally naval engineers — domestic or foreign — visit to oversee the construction of larger vessels. Normally, however, the primary supervisors of projects are the master jalaf who began as apprentices and laborers and, after years at the bench, became masters — their hair whitened by seasons at the shipyard.
In 2011 the Qeshm boat-building workshop was registered as an example of Iranian handicraft on the UNESCO World Heritage-related lists, which increased nationwide recognition of the craft. Later, in 2017 (1396 in the Persian calendar), a museum was established in the Gooran area to narrate the history of the sea, seafaring and boat-building. Visitors can also learn fishing principles on guided lanj tours — an experience many find deeply attractive.
How are lanj built at the workshop?
Boat-building once had greater vitality; economic challenges have reduced the pace of construction and the number of projects. The plans for lanj are drawn not on the most advanced computer but in the master builders’ minds — the jalaf’s years of experience form an advanced mental CAD system that knows precisely which bolt and which plank go where.
Each lanj’s construction time varies by its design and size: it can take from six months up to two years. Builders use teak (sag), kohor, and kanar woods, with teak being the primary material; these timber species are found on Qeshm island.
If you linger and listen to the conversations of apprentices and master builders, you will understand that boat-building has a unique lexicon: today many lanj are powered by engines rather than sail and oar. Engines are commonly imported from Japan for their quality, though a widely used engine type known as “Pakistani” is often installed on some vessels.
Names and types of lanj
Part of the craft’s knowledge base is recognizing lanj types. Here are some names and general types you may hear:
Semaj, Batil (Betil): fishing lanj
Houri: passenger lanj, capacity around ten people
Shooi: an older type that once moved by sail and oar but now typically fitted with engines
Baghlah: a lanj with a curved structure used for cargo
Bagareh: lanj from the Kong region used for net fishing
Sambuk and Jalboot: cargo lanj for loads of 5–100 tonnes
Boom: a large cargo and passenger lanj
Distinguishing these lanj types and identifying the ones you see at the workshop is specialized knowledge — it usually requires the attentive eye and experience of a warm-hearted southern captain.
Best time to visit the boat-building workshop
There is no strict visiting hour for the Gooran workshop, but the yards are generally active from morning to late afternoon. The southern sun in summer is scorching — if you visit during that season you’ll feel like your blood is boiling when you walk in the sun. If summer is your choice, you can only comfortably leave your accommodation at night, though the workshops aren’t active then.
Autumn and winter are the best seasons to travel to the south and to Qeshm: sunlight intensity is less and air is cooler. The only drawback is shorter daylight hours; if you schedule your visit to the workshops in mid-day, you can observe everything in bright light while the yards are operating, and touch the craft that these boat-builders produce through their toil.
The village of Gooran lies 75 km from Qeshm’s centre on the island’s western shore. The village is also close to the Hara (mangrove) forests, so you can dedicate a day to both the unique mangrove forest and the boat-building yard.
To reach the village you can use the Qeshm Airport route or the Laft route. If traveling via Qeshm Airport, go to Zaitun Coastal Park and continue on that straight road to the airport, then head toward the village of Suheli and onwards to Gooran. From Laft there’s a 44-km road to Gooran. Laft also hosts smaller boat-building workshops and additional attractions such as the Laft castle and wind towers.
The Qeshm boat-building workshop location is on Google Maps; with the location you can find the best route from anywhere on the island.
How to reach the Gooran boat-building workshop
The Gooran village lacks extensive tourist infrastructure, and perhaps because of that the boat-building workshop remains a lesser-known Qeshm sight. The best way to visit Gooran is by private car. If you came with a tour, follow the tour’s schedule. You may also rent a car or hire a taxi to visit Gooran and see the workshop.
Gooran does not have accommodation facilities; some locals rent rooms to visitors but due to limited amenities most people return to central Qeshm after visiting nearby attractions and stay overnight in hotels or guesthouses.
Final word — in the Gooran workshop you’ll long for the sea
Seeing dozens of lanj under construction or repair will make you wistful for sailing; you may want to take the helm and head into the blue heart of the Persian Gulf. Some of the passenger lanj are beautifully built and are in themselves complete works of art. The Qeshm boat-building workshop is a unique tourist attraction you cannot find elsewhere in the world; even if similar workshops exist in other Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf countries, they don't have the same warm captains and master craftsmen of Qeshm. Don’t miss this mine of art and energy on your trip to Qeshm.
