Larestani people

Larestani people (Khodmooni)

Total population
(c. 200,000 (2004), 500,000 (est. as of 2014))
Regions with significant populations
Southern Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar
Languages
Achomi anguage, Persian
Religion
Predominantly Sunni Islam Minority Shia Islam
Related ethnic groups
Other Iranian peoples, Hola (ethnic group)

Larestani people or Achomee people are a Persian ethnic group who inhabit primarily in Southern Fars, Iran in a region historically known as Larestan. Significant numbers of Larestani people also have migrated to Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and other Persian Gulf Arab countries in the region.

The historical region of Larestan consists of several counties in Fars province (Larestan, Khonj, Gerash, Lamerd) and Bastak County in Hormozgan. In Bahrain, Sunni Bahrainis of Larestani ancestry are known as Hola.

Larestani people speak the Achomi language. The Larestani people are of Persian descent, apart from Lar city who were of Judism origin migrated to Lar city , the majority of Larestani people are Sunni Muslims, with a Shia minority. In the thirteenth century, Lar briefly became a center of trade and commerce in southern Persia. Larestan was nearly always an obscure region, never becoming involved in the politics and conflicts of mainstream Persia.

Larestani people refer to themselves as "Khodmooni", a term literally meaning "part of ourselves" but figuratively used to refer to people from the historical region of Larestan but not city of Lar itself as they are ethiniclly Jewish