A Study of the History of the Name of the Persian Gulf

The purpose of the present study is to examine the history of the name of the Persian Gulf from the Pre-Islamic period until now, which has been one of the hotly debated and multi-dimensional discussions of the recent decade. Iranians are among the earliest people who resided around the Fars Sea. The Persian Gulf has been called Narmarratu in Sumerian and Assyrian inscriptions; however, since the time of Iranian’s residence in this region, it has always been called the Persian Gulf. This is confirmed by different pieces of evidence recorded in all related ancient sources and history and geographybooks. Consequently, it can be claimed that the neighboring Arab countries use of some forged names for the Persian Gulf during the recent years originates in their attempts at protecting their oil-related benefits in this waterway. Moreover, it demonstrates the exploitative activities of the West in this strategic region, which has always been of great significance because of its open and warm seas and rich oil resources in the Middle East.