TEHRAN-- Since the beginning of Rahian-e Noor season, there has been a remarkable reception of the Sacred Defense sites of Khuzestan province, and it is expected that about one million pilgrims will visit these monuments by late April.

Rahian-e Noor (meaning voyagers to light) is name for state-run tours of south and southwestern Iran where used to be the warzone with Iraq in the 1980s.  It is intended to keep alive the memory of Iranian efforts and lives lost during the Holy Defense.

Announcing this, Colonel Seyyed Ebrahim Ahmadifard, head of IRGC Regional Corps Valiasr in Khuzestan province, referred to the vast capacity of Sacred Defense monuments of the province and said: “In addition to their cultural and value functions, the Sacred Defense monuments have an important capacity for developing spiritual tourism and transmitting the culture of sacrifice and resistance to the younger generation, and this requires cooperation and joint planning by the executive agencies.”

A meeting between Ahmadifard and head of Khuzestan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department was held on Wednesday with the aim of enhancing and developing cooperation in the field of Sacred Defense tourism, Miras Aria reported.

Also, head of Khuzestan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department pointed out the special place of Sacred Defense tourism in the province's tourism portfolio and emphasized the need to improve infrastructure, organize tourism services, and conclude a joint memorandum of understanding to develop tourism and visit Khuzestan's international and national heritage collections. 

He said that the department is ready to work in areas such as improving services to the pilgrims and tourists, better introducing the monuments, and strengthening the connection between Sacred Defense tourism and other historical and cultural attractions in the province.

In the end, both parties emphasized the continuation of interaction, joint planning, and maximum use of existing capacities for the development of Sacred Defense tourism in Khuzestan province.

KD