Abadan Refinery

The Abadan refinery is the reason the city exists. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company (later Anglo-Iranian, later British Petroleum) began construction in 1909 and completed the first stage in 1912; by the mid-20th century it was the largest oil refinery in the world, and Abadan had grown into a peculiar company town of British bungalows, cricket grounds, cinemas, and swimming pools sitting alongside Iranian quarters on the flat alluvial island.

The refinery was heavily damaged during the Iran-Iraq War, besieged and bombarded from 1980 to 1982, and has been partially rebuilt since. It still operates. The plant covers an enormous area of the southern island, and its towers, flare stacks, and pipelines dominate the skyline in a way that can feel either grim or impressive depending on your temperament. Visiting the interior requires permits and an organized tour — check with local travel agencies in Ahvaz, the nearest major city. The exterior and some of the surrounding infrastructure can be seen from public roads.

things to do sight
A story
When the Anglo-Persian Oil Company completed the Abadan refinery in 1912, it was the first large-scale oil refinery in the Middle East. By 1938 it was the largest in the world, processing over 680,000 barrels a day and employing thousands of British, Iranian, and Indian workers. The nationalization of the refinery in 1951 by Prime Minister Mosaddegh — and the British blockade and CIA-backed coup that followed — was one of the defining episodes of the Cold War in the Middle East.