Iran eyes UNESCO status for Siraf, other ancient ports: tourism minister

TEHRAN – Iran seeks to register ancient Siraf port and several other southern seaports on the UNESCO World Heritage list in near future, Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan has said.

Over 3,000 smuggled relics returned to Iran since August 2017: minister  

TEHRAN – More than 3,000 historical objects that had been looted and smuggled out of Iran decades ago have been returned home since August 2017, when Presiden Hassan Rouhani began his second administration, tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said on Monday.

By Afshin Majlesi

Glimpses of bread making in Iran

Since the olden days, bread has been the staple diet of the folks living in the semi-arid Iranian plateau. Traditional and ethnic Persian breads are famed for their strong flavor, quality, and diversity.

Persian Gulf Regional Museum inaugurated in southern Iran

TEHRAN – Iranian tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan on Monday inaugurated a vast museum of cultural heritage and anthropology in the port city of Bushehr, southern Iran.

Intl. Festival of Tribes Culture wraps up in northern Iran

A nomad ensemble performs during the closing ceremony of the 14th International Festival of Tribes Culture in Gorgan, the capital of Iran’s northern province of Golestan, on January 31, 2021.

Living museum of oil extraction to get off the ground near Kashan

TEHRAN – A centuries-old Assarkhane, a traditional factory where special mills were used to grind oilseeds, is set to be turned into a living museum of oil extraction near the oasis city of Kashan, central Iran.

Restoration project to revive ancient monuments on Silk Road

TEHRAN – Iran’s Revitalization and Utilization Fund for Historical Places have launched a development scheme, based on which arrays of centuries-old monuments would be revived along the ancient Silk Road.

By Seyed Hossein Hosseiniseddiq

Public baths in Iran and interesting customs behind

Most people today have baths in their homes, but in the past, there were public baths that were not just for bathing but also a public place for family, social, business, and even political gatherings.

Accommodation facilities come on stream in UNESCO-designated Burnt City

TEHRAN – The construction operations of a tourism complex, which includes overnight accommodation facilities, have been completed in the UNESCO-registered Burnt City, southeast Iran.

Photo contest to spotlight UNESCO-tagged Soltaniyeh, nearby monuments

TEHRAN – The cultural heritage and tourism directorate of Iran’s Zanjan province is set to launch a photography contest on the UNESCO-registered Dome of Soltaniyeh and its surrounding historical and touristic sites.

New restoration work starts on windmills in southeast Iran

TEHRAN – A fresh round of restoration work has been commenced on windmills situated in Hozdar historical area, Sistan-Balouchestan province, southeast Iran.

Qadamgah of UNESCO-tagged Persepolis to be documented

TEHRAN – A documentation and clean-up project will soon be commenced on Qadamgah, a post-Achaemenid rock-cut monument which is located near the UNESCO-registered Persepolis.

Iran, Germany to arrange exhibit on salt mummies

TEHRAN – Iran and Germany are set to arrange a joint exhibition on ancient salt mummies and their belongings, which have been gradually discovered in Iran’s Chehrabad Salt Mine decades ago.

Dossiers on Iranian railway, cultural landscape submitted to UNESCO

TEHRAN – Revised dossiers on the trans-Iranian railway, and the cultural landscape of Uramanat have been submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization to be assessed as World Heritage sites.   

Surveillance cameras installed along road to Persepolis

TEHRAN – Sets of surveillance cameras have recently been installed along the local road that leads to the UNESCO-registered  Persepolis in southern Iran.

60,000 relics being re-arranged, documented in Iranian museum

TEHRAN – Some 60,000 relics and historical objects are being documented to be put in the right order in the Great Museum of Khorasan, which is located in Mashhad, northeast Iran.

Abandoned cistern reopened after 50 years

TEHRAN – An abandoned Ab-Anbar (cistern) has recently been reopened after 50 years of closure in the city of Torbat-e Heydarieh, northeast Iran.

Vast permanent center for handicrafts to be inaugurated near Tehran  

TEHRAN – A massive permanent center for the craftsmanship and trade of handicrafts is being constructed in Alborz province, northcentral Iran.

Take a trip to the unknown, to rugged shores of Makran

TEHRAN - Makran coasts are all about its rugged rock formations, dramatic dunes, and relentless waves crashing upon jagged boulders, which are perfect in winter.

Intl. travels slump by 84% in Iran due to coronavirus

TEHRAN -- The average of international travels to and from Iran fell by 84 percent during the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 20, 2020) from a year earlier.

Cultural development, early settlements to be documented in Shahr-e Deraz

TEHRAN – Cultural background and the history of human settlement is set to be probed and documented across Shahr-e Deraz and its surrounding areas, which are situated in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province.

Iranian province says ready to help restore cultural heritage in war-torn Karabakh

TEHRAN – Tourism chief of Iran’s East Azarbaijan said on Monday the province could soon start restoration of cultural heritage sites and monuments in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

No harm to Hormozgan historical sites by quake

TEHRAN – A medium-sized 5.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Hormozgan on Saturday caused no damage to historical structures and sites across the southern Iranian province.

Iran, Nicaragua to expand museum relations

TEHRAN – The National Museum of Iran and the National Museum of Nicaragua have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to lay the ground for further cooperation including the arrangement of joint online shows during the current coronavirus era.

Book on ancient Tarikhaneh Mosque published

TEHRAN – A book on ancient Tarikhaneh Mosque, which is one of the oldest existing mosques in Iran, has recently been published in Persian.

Iranian artists, heritage enthusiasts sign petition demanding salvage of masterpiece in Iraq

TEHRAN – Hundreds of Iranian artists, architects, and cultural heritage enthusiasts have signed a petition demanding an urgent restoration of Taq Kasra, a Sassanid masterpiece of architecture, which was collapsed partly in modern Iraq earlier this month.

25 restoration projects launched across Sistan-Baluchestan

TEHRAN – A total of 25 restoration projects have been launched across Sistan-Baluchestan since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 2020).  

Assessment of Ardebil completed as touristic city

TEHRAN – Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has completed a comprehensive assessment of Ardebil as a touristic city, the tourism minister announced on Sunday.