Anahita: ancient goddess fertility

TEHRAN - Anahita, also known as Anaitis, and Anahit, was an ancient Iranian goddess of royalty, water, and fertility; she is particularly associated with the last.

Severe wind storm disrupts coastal tourism, shuts recreational piers on Qeshm Island

TEHRAN – A series of severe wind storms have disrupted coastal tourism, and shut recreational piers on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf.

Historical vaulted alley, adjoining houses undergo urgent restoration

TEHRAN – A traditional vaulted alley and its adjoining mudbrick houses, which are altogether named a “darband” in the Iranian vernacular architecture, have been restored urgently in the historical texture of Ardakan in central Iran. 

Atlas of historical Masuleh, its legal boundaries determined  

TEHRAN – A comprehensive atlas of the historical village of Masuleh and its legal boundaries have recently been determined and announced by the Iranian ministry of tourism and cultural heritage.

Taq Kasra, Sassanid masterpiece of architecture, partly collapses in modern Iraq

TEHRAN – Segments of Taq Kasra, which is an architecturally-important Sasanian-era Persian monument in modern Iraq, has recently been collapsed, Mehr reported based on Iraqi sources.

Medical tourists to Mashhad at record low due to coronavirus curbs

TEHRAN - The coronavirus pandemic is hitting hard at medical tourism of Mashhad, which used to be a thriving destination for health-care seekers in pre-pandemic times.

Iran appoints ambassador to UNESCO

TEHRAN – Iran has appointed a new ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Extra maintenance awaiting Tehran street as prerequisite for UNESCO registration

TEHRAN – Tehran’s Vali-e Asr Street, which is famed as the longest in West Asia, will undergo extra maintenance and restoration work as a prerequisite for a possible UNESCO registration.

Isfahan caravanserais may join other Iranian sisters for collective UNESCO tag

TEHRAN- There are some significant caravanserais, scattered across Isfahan province, which could appear on the shortlist of historical Iranian caravanserais being prepared for a possible inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Turkey requires negative COVID-19 tests for all Iranian passengers

TEHRAN – Iranian passengers to Turkey must provide negative COVID-19 test results before boarding, as the government looks to further reduce the risk of imported coronavirus cases amid increased international travel.

Tehran’s City Theater Complex to be demarcated

TEHRAN – Tehran’s City Theater Complex, which is widely considered as the sole professional center of theater in Iran, is scheduled to be demarcated by the end of the current Iranian calendar year 1399 (March 2022).

Tepe Yahya: a prehistorical source of information on economic exchange patterns

TEHRAN - Tepe Yahya, an ancient hill in Dowlatabad, southeastern Iran, has yielded valuable information on the economic exchange patterns of the 3rd millennium BC.

Newly-recovered antiquities to go on show in homeland

TEHRAN – A total of 49 glazed bricks, which have recently been returned home from Switzerland, will go on show at a museum in Bukan, where they were first unearthed in western Iran.  

Qatar 2022 World Cup a window of opportunity for Iran tourism, deputy minister says

TEHRAN – Iran should take the advantage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by its neighbor Qatar, as an ample opportunity to encourage its tourism sector, deputy tourism minister has said.

Book on Mahan’s cultural heritage unveiled

TEHRAN - A book containing rare manuscripts and other cultural heritage of Mahan, a historical town in southeast Iran, was unveiled during a ceremony at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman on Tuesday.

Bushehr reinforcing tourism structures in long-lasting recession

TEHRAN – The cultural heritage and tourism department of Bushehr, like many other Iranian provinces, has commenced reinforcing travel-related structures during a prolonged recession resulted from the coronavirus pandemic.

Urmia University’s campus to be turned into garden museum

TEHRAN – The Urmia University plans to turn its historical campus into a garden museum, president of the northwestern Iranian university has said.

Ancient column base discovered in garden southern Iran

TEHRAN – The pedestal and base of a historical stone column, believed to date from the Achaemenid era, has recently been a discovered in a garden, southern Iran.

Friday Mosque of Neyriz; one of the earliest in Iran

TEHRAN- Once quite flourishing in ancient times, Neyriz used to be one of the largest communities of Muslims. Located in Fars province in southern Iran, Neyriz is close to a salt lake and some stone quarries where its inhabitants are working today.

1.5 million lose work in Iran as COVID hits tourism market

TEHRAN – The coronavirus epidemic has ruined more than 1.5 million jobs in Iran’s travel sector, tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said on Saturday.

Rare copy of Shahnameh to be unveiled in Tehran

TEHRAN – A rare illustrated copy of Ferdowsi’s epic masterpiece Shahnameh is scheduled to be unveiled today at the UNESCO-registered Golestan Palace.

By Seyed Hossein Hosseiniseddiq

Chavoshi reciting; a long-lasting tradition in Shahroud

Chavoshi is a Shiite religious song for departing and welcoming pilgrims to places of pilgrimage. The ritual of Chavoshi reading for pilgrims to the cities of Karbala, Mashhad, Najaf, Mecca, and Medina has been common since the Safavid and Qajar periods and has received much attention in the recent century. In addition to Semnan province and particularly Shahroud county, Chavoshi reading is also common in other provinces such as Khuzestan, Hormozgan, Bushehr, and the northern provinces of Iran.

London museum to host major exhibit on Iranian history and arts

TEHRAN – The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) will be hosting a major exhibition on Iranian history and arts.

A taste of Iran: Khoresht Mast

TEHRAN - In Persian cuisine, the term ‘khoresht’ mostly refers to thick, usually sour stews which are served as main meals alongside a rice dish.

Mobile phone registry to be simplified at Tehran airport

TEHRAN - Mobile phone registry will go online for inbound passengers arriving at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport.

Tourism can’t wait for vaccinations to become a widespread reality: UNWTO

TEHRAN – The tourism sector cannot wait for the coronavirus vaccinations to become a widespread reality, members of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)  have stressed.