Larestani

The Achomi, who call themselves Khodmooni ("of ourselves") and are also known as Larestanis or Laris, are the people of Larestan or Irahestan, the hot uplands and coast between Shiraz and the Persian Gulf. Their language, Achomi, is a Southwestern Iranian language descended from Middle Persian and unintelligible to Persian speakers, with town dialects such as Lari, Gerashi, Evazi, Khonji, Bastaki, Lamerdi, Ashkanani and Lengeyi. Larestan was a semi-independent kingdom under the Miladi dynasty until Shah Abbas I annexed it in 1610, and local khans ruled Gerash, Bastak and Lar into the 1920s. From the 19th century, and massively from the 1940s, Achomis crossed to the Arab side of the Gulf, where they form much of the Ajam (in Bahrain Sunni families are often called Huwala) and helped build Dubai's trade. Achomis see themselves as distinct from both northern Persians and Gulf Arabs.

Achomi music features the dastmal-bazi handkerchief dance and the chub-bazi stick dance, with the nay, the haban bagpipe, the daf and the oud. Signature foods include mahyawa (fermented sardine sauce), ranginak (dates with cinnamon), khanfaroosh, balaleet and regag thin bread, all shared with the Gulf coast. Towns are built around rain-fed cisterns (berkeh) and wind towers, and an agricultural solar calendar begins the year in mid-February. Family networks span Larestan and the Emirates: a Gerashi opened the first Iranian kebab restaurant in Sharjah in 1950, and Dubai's Al Bastakiya quarter is named after migrants from Bastak.

Larestan is Iran's main Persian-speaking Sunni region. The Sunni towns (Evaz, Khonj, Bastak, Lamerd, Mohr, Bandar Lengeh) follow the Shafi'i school with local madrasas and strong ties to Gulf Sunni scholarship, while Gerash and most of Lar are Twelver Shia with Muharram observances; joint Shia-Sunni Quran gatherings are reported in Gerash. Lar once had a prosperous Jewish community, enlarged by refugees from Hormuz, which dispersed after Safavid persecutions in the 17th century.

The Achomi New Testament (Seed Company) was published in 2024 and is available free on YouVersion in two editions (LRL and LAB, Korpu Company). Audio recordings are reported available. There is no Jesus Film in Achomi; the Persian film and Bible are understood by all speakers.