TEHRAN--Caretaker of Kalat Governor Office Abolfath Lashkari said that a proposal for sisterhood ties between Kalat and Konya has been made in a recent meeting with Turkey’s consul-general.

He added that Kalat-Konya sisterhood agreement can be an important measure in line of cultural cooperation between Iran and Turkey, ISNA reported.

“We have totally given proposals for sisterhood agreements with three other Turkish cities. We hope that the follow-ups will be successful as soon as possible.  But if we do not reach a conclusion, we will raise the issue of sisterhood with the Hezar Masjed district given its pristine nature. “

Of course, there are cities like Erzincan, Horasan, and Igdir in Turkey, he said, adding that the mayor of Kalat has been asked to conduct the necessary correspondence with these cities in this regard. 

Horasan is located 250 km off Bazargan border. The ancestors of this city were from Khorasan, and this is the reason why this city was named. 

“The city of Erzincan is also similar to the city of Kalat. If we consider the history of Erzincan in Turkey, we see that Afshar tribe, one of the most important Qizilbash tribes, formed the Safavid government in the city of Erzincan after moving towards Tabriz.”

He continued that Igdir, which is similar to Kalat, is located northeast of Turkey. Like Kalat, Igdir boasts natural, historical and ethnic diversity, he added.

The city of Igdir is located near the Turkish border with Armenia, and most of its residents are Shia and speak Azerbaijani Turkish. In addition, there are people in the surrounding villages who speak the Kurmanji language. 

Lashgari called Kalat as city of history and nature. Handicrafts is one of the potentials of Kalat, he added.

He called roads as the most important infrastructure for drawing investors and tourists. 

Some 1,120 billion rials ($1.2 million) has been allocated for improving Mashhad-Kalat Road, he said. 

The 18th-century Qasr-e Khorshid (“the Sun Palace”) was once a residence for Nader Shah of Persia (1688–1747).

Commonly known as “Napoleon of Iran,”, Nader created a mighty empire stretching from northern India to the Caucasus Mountains.

The 20-meter-high monument, which is known as Kalat-e Naderi, currently serves as a museum of anthropology and a unique travel destination in the Kalat city of Khorasan Razavi province, northeast Iran.

The building includes a picturesque exterior with a circular fluted shape, a sizable ground floor level, a cellar, and a cylindrical tower that is supported by 66 columns.

The palace has 12 rooms ornamented with paintings and decorative pieces like plaster moldings. Eight pools with connecting streams and fountains are located in the surrounding garden.

Narratives say the monument is named after Khorshid, who was one of Nader’s wives. However, it was never completed due to an ambiguous state of affairs that poured in following Nader Shah’s sudden death.

The exterior panels feature pineapple and pear motifs, which are thought to be uncommon in the then-Khorasan region, leading some to speculate that foreign artisans were hired to build it.

Records indicate that the structure served as a residential headquarters in the early Qajar era (I785 to 1925) as well.

Nader Shah is widely considered one of the most powerful rulers in the history of the nation. He assumed power when a period of chaos overwhelmed Iran. 

KD