Berke Khalaf Village

Berke Khalaf is one of the tourist villages of Qeshm County in Hormozgan Province. It lies in Suza Rural District, in Shahab District, about 20 kilometres from the city of Qeshm. With a population of 343 people in 89 households, it is one of the well-known settlements on Qeshm Island, and it has become famous for its cleanliness and for the way its residents work together to keep the village tidy. The name Berke Khalaf is said to come from a freshwater pool that once belonged to a man named Khalaf; in the local dialect, the word "berke" is used for a water reservoir (ab-anbar). Beyond its natural importance, Berke Khalaf is also a notable cultural and social example of a local community taking part in protecting the environment and keeping its surroundings clean.

The main tourist attraction of Berke Khalaf is the Stars Valley (Dare Setaregan), about one kilometre from the village. It was shaped over millions of years by the erosion of soil, sand and rock. This geological feature dates to the Cenozoic era and is more than two million years old. Alongside the Stars Valley, the cleanliness of the village and its culture of communal cleaning are among Berke Khalaf's defining features; villagers cooperate every week to clean the area, and this has become part of the village's tourism identity. Fishing is also one of the main occupations of the village men, and residents have taken part in protecting an endangered shellfish species known as the black-lipped pearl oyster (sadaf-e lab-siyah). Needlework (souzan-douzi), golabatoon embroidery and khous-douzi are common handicrafts among the village women, and they can be considered part of Berke Khalaf's cultural and handicraft heritage.

Berke Khalaf is reachable by road on Qeshm Island. Its distance is reported as about 20 kilometres to the city of Qeshm, 16 kilometres to Suza and 21 kilometres to Dargahan. Because of the island's hot, humid climate, the period from early Azar (late November) to late Farvardin (mid-April) is a better time to travel to Berke Khalaf and visit the natural attractions around it. The village's closeness to the Stars Valley also makes it easy to combine a visit to the village with this natural attraction. During your visit, keeping the environment clean is especially important: visitors should take their rubbish with them, avoid damaging the natural vegetation and geological formations, and, if visiting coastal habitats and areas connected with fishing, refrain from collecting or harming animal species. Following these principles is in keeping with the environmental culture of the people of Berke Khalaf and helps sustain responsible tourism in the village.