Inside Iran's creepy party island

The shipwreck known as "Greek Ship" is one of Kish's most popular attractions and photo-op sites, just beating out the empty building in the shape of a ship. Picture: Ryan P. McCarthy/VICE Source: Supplied

THIRTY-five years ago, Iran was a very different place than it is today. Shah Mohammad Reza Phalavi was in charge of the place, and it was pretty hopping.

Women wore Western clothing, and drinking and dancing were favourite pastimes.

The rundown Game's World on Kish. Picture: Ryan P. McCarthy/VICE Source: Supplied

The Shah aspired to build a Las Vegas - style tourist trap to bring in international dollars and provide a haven for Iran's elite. He chose Kish Island in the Persian Gulf to be the site of his new playground. Kish had it all: warm weather, beautiful beaches, and a generally liberal, laid-back populace.

Kish's nightlife is tame and featured 'famous' Iranian singers. Picture: Ryan P. McCarthy/VICE Source: Supplied

All that changed with the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took power, and Iran's party scene became non-existent.

The closest thing you can get to liquor on Kish is a 'non-alcoholic malt beverage'. Picture: Ryan P. McCarthy/VICE Source: Supplied

Today's fundamentalist Iran is pretty much the last place in the world Westerners want to go and party, but this hasn't discouraged the current regime from trying to attract them to Kish.

A swimming pool in Kish. Picture: statigram Source: Supplied

In 1989, dismayed by the lack of international tourists, the government declared Kish Island a free zone. This new status meant there would be no taxes, no visas required to enter, and a more lax enforcement of moral laws. Women are allowed to wear their hijabs with a generous amount of hair showing, and swimming (although gender-segregated) and dancing are encouraged. All of these activities are verboten in most other parts of the country.

Legal party scene: A dinner-and-a-show venue. Picture: Ryan P. McCarthy/VICE Source: Supplied

Alas, Kish did not become a hot party destination. Instead of the island earning a reputation for its nightlife scene, it became known for its kidnapping scene. In 2007, former FBI agent Robert Levinson disappeared while visiting Kish. He's been captive ever since, which gives him the dubious title of the longest-held American hostage in US history.

Legal party scene: There were lasers, some small pyrotechnics, and even a fog machine as a singer performed. Picture: Ryan P. McCarthy/VICE Source: Supplied

After his capture, the US government issued a statement denying he was a CIA agent on a spying mission, and was simply there on holiday. Last year Associated Press broke the real story, a Jason Bourne-esqe saga of intel gathering CIA agents on a rogue mission that, the AP said, had paid Levinson to gather intel.

These undated photographs show former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran nearly six years ago. Source: AFP

Despite this messy history, last summer Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, told voters he wanted to increase tourism on Kish, largely due to the heavily sanctioned government's desperate need for foreign currency.

Kish Cable Ski Park. Picture: statigram / @kishcableskipark Source: Supplied

Unsurprisingly, no one is showing up. The majority of tourists are Iranian, and the few others are migrant workers from Dubai who had to leave the UAE due to expired visas, many of whom have been treated badly and being taken advantage of.

To the surprise of no one except the Iranian government, Westerners tend to avoid spending time off in countries where citizens occasionally chant things like "Death to America".

This is an extract from an article that originally appeared on vice.com.

A person in an unlicensed American cartoon character costume running around, giving kids nightmares and looking for tips. Picture: Ryan P. McCarthy/VICE Source: Supplied

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