TEHRAN – A cleaning project has been commenced on various historical sites and tourist destinations which are scattered across the ancient town of Rey; now attached to the Iranian capital.

The fire temple of Rey, which covers thousands of square meters in area, was cleaned during the first day of the campaign, Rey’s tourism chief, Noruz Taqipur, said on Saturday.

Rashkan Castle, Cheshmeh-Ali, and Naghareh Khaneh Tower are amongst the sites scheduled for the project, the official added.  

In preparation for Noruz, nationwide Iranians spring-clean every nook and cranny of their homes. The debris is swept away, carpets and curtains are washed, silverware is polished, and windows cleaned to a sparkle. The spring cleaning, known as Khouneh Tekouni in Persian, is proceeded by decorating the house with fragrant plants such as daffodils, hyacinths, and roses.

Rey was one of the capital cities of the Parthian empire (3rd century BC–3rd century CE) and it was captured by the Muslim Arabs in 641 CE. During the reign of the Muslim caliph al-Mahdi in the 8th century, the city grew in importance until it was rivaled in western Asia only by Damascus and Baghdad.

According to Britannica, Islamic writers described it as a city of extraordinary beauty, built largely of fired brick and brilliantly ornamented with blue faience (glazed earthenware). It continued to be an important city and was briefly a capital under the rule of the Seljuqs, but in the 12th century, it was weakened by the fierce quarrels of rival religious sects. In 1220 the city was almost destroyed by the Mongols, and its inhabitants were massacred. Most of the survivors of the massacre moved to nearby Tehran, and the deserted remnants of Rey soon fell into complete ruin.

AFM/