TEHRAN –The north-central Semnan province could be Iran’s representative in the international union of the cities along the Silk Road, the deputy tourism minister has said.

“Following receiving an official note from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Iran proposing choosing an Iranian city as a representative in the union, we are discussing selecting Semnan to serve as a main member of the mentioned organization,” Ali-Asghar Shalbafian explained on Monday.

As a representative of Iran in the newly established union, Semnan has been considered because of its diverse capabilities in a wide range of sectors, such as tourism, history, culture, human resources, and infrastructure, he mentioned.

Having over 600 kilometers of common Silk Road routes is also one of the major criteria for selecting Semnan, he added.

Cooperation between the chosen city of Iran and this union could result in several achievements, including improved tourism resources, the organization of promotional events, professional training exchanges, information sharing, and technology transfer and the promotion of the local tourism industry, he noted.

Additionally, it will help promote sustainable urban development and improve Silk Road’s overall brand, as well as cooperation in policies related to resource optimization, market integration, regional tourism product development, improvement of Silk Road tourism’s image, and ultimately promoting joint inbound tourism growth, he said.

The main population centers of Semnan province lie along the ancient Silk Road (and modern-day Imam Reza Expressway), linking Rey (Tehran) with Khorasan (Mashhad). While few visitors spend much time in the area, driving through you can easily seek out several well-preserved caravanserais (notably Dehnamak and Ahowan), cisterns (the Cafe Abenbar in Garmsar is a special treat), and ruined mud citadels (Padeh is lumpy but fascinating). The large, bustling cities of Semnan, Damghan and Shahrud (Bastam) all have a small selection of historic buildings and Semnan has a fine old covered bazaar.

The ancient Silk Road has existed for thousands of years, passing through empires, kingdoms, reigns, and societies throughout history. At certain times in its long history, traders could travel freely along these routes, whereas at others, travel was difficult or dangerous.

According to UNESCO, the Silk Road enriched the countries it passed through, transporting cultures, religions, languages, and of course material goods into societies across Europe, Asia and Africa, and uniting them all with a common thread of cultural heritage and plural identities.

There are over 40 countries today alongside the historic Land and Maritime Silk Roads, all still bearing witness to the impact of these routes on their culture, traditions and customs.

Travelers along the Silk Roads were attracted not only by trade but also by the intellectual and cultural exchange that was taking place in cities along the Silk Roads, many of which developed into hubs of culture and learning. Science, arts, and literature, as well as crafts and technologies, were thus shared and disseminated into societies along the lengths of these routes, and in this way, languages, religions, and cultures developed and influenced each other.

ABU/AM