(Part 8/8) 

A glimpse of Muharram mourning rituals across Iran: Sham-e Ghariban

The night of Ashura in Iran is called Shaam-e Ghariban, meaning “the night of strangers” and those who are far from home and help. People light candles in holy places and gatherings in every corner of the country.

Pilgrimage to holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) added to cultural heritage list

TEHRAN – The spiritual tradition of pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) has been registered on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

Turkish Airlines to resume flights to five Iranian cities, including Tehran

TEHRAN – Turkey's flag carrier Turkish Airlines has announced that it is scheduled to resume its flights to Tehran and four other major Iranian cities in September.

Safavid-era caravanserai in Semnan being restored

TEHRAN – A team of cultural heritage experts and restorers has commenced work on a Safavid-era (1501-1736) caravanserai, which is located in Lasjerd, north-central Semnan province.

Survey to examine role of saffron in tourism development

TEHRAN – A case study is being carried out on the central city of Natanz to find out how saffron farming may contribute to the development of agritourism in the region.

Mashhad museum sets up exhibit dedicated to journalism

TEHRAN – An exhibition dedicated to media correspondents and the history of journalism in Iran will open to the public at Khorasan Great Museum, which is located in Mashhad, northeast Iran.

Tilework master Elhaminia, famed for decorating Imam Reza holy shrine, passes away

TEHRAN- Mohammad Ali Elhaminia, who was the oldest master of tilework at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in the city of Mashhad, has died at the age of 86.

Tourism projects worth $3.8b underway in Khorasan Razavi

TEHRAN – A total of 248 tourism-related projects worth 162 trillion rials (around $3.8 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials) are currently underway in Khorasan Razavi province, which is a top destination both for pilgrims and holidaymakers.

Poet Reza Afzali dies at 72

TEHRAN – Poet Reza Afzali died of a stroke in a hospital in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad on Thursday. He was 72.

Hotel occupancy rate plunges to 10% in Khorasan Razavi

TEHRAN – The occupancy rate of hotels in the northeastern Khorasan Razavi province, one of Iran’s giant travel destinations, has plummeted to 10 percent, ILNA quoted Abolfazl Mokaramifar, the provincial tourism chief, as saying on Monday.

Coronavirus cuts medical tourists in Mashhad by 95%

TEHRAN – The coronavirus pandemic has slashed the number of travelers visiting the city of Mashhad for medical purposes by 95 percent over the past few months, IRNA reported.

Dam spills out water after 21 years

Toroq Dam, which is one of the main sources of supplying drinking water to the metropolis of Mashhad, the capital of northeastern Khorasan Razavi province, has spilled for the first time since it was built 21 years ago thanks to heavy rainfalls in recent months. Some experts believe that Iran has entered a period of wet spell after experiencing dry spells over the past few decades as rainfall in the past three years has met normal and above normal levels.

Flash floods reveal archaeological site in northeast Iran

TEHRAN – An archaeological site has recently been unearthed on the outskirts of Torbat-e Heydarieh after torrential rains washed the soil away in the northeastern Iranian region.

100 pieces of historical ceramics, glazed pottery restored

TEHRAN – A total of 100 pieces of historical ceramics and glazed pottery were restored in the laboratory of Khorasan Great Museum, northeastern city of Mashhad, during the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20).

Leader’s New Year speech canceled over coronavirus outbreak

TEHRAN — Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s annual New Year speech at the Imam Reza holy shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad will not be held due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

A glimpse of The Met’s excavations at Neyshabur once home to many Iranian scholars, traders and artisans

TEHRAN – Beginning in 1935, a team from the Department of Near Eastern Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially “The Met”, excavated for several seasons at Neyshabur (Nishapur), which is one of flourishing towns of medieval times now situated northeast of modern Iran.

Hadadi assures of winning second Olympics medal

TEHRAN – Iranian discus thrower Ehsan Hadadi says that he can win his second medal in the Olympic Games.

Visit village where all structures are made of timber

Serenely sprawling in a well-watered and fertile plain at the southern foot of the Binalud Mountains, Choobin (“Wooden”) village is a special tourist destination situated near Neyshabur, northeast Iran.

Intl. Quran Competition postponed until end of Ramadan

TEHRAN – The 37th International Quran Competition has been postponed to a time after the holy month of Ramadan due to the new coronavirus epidemic in the country.

Iran-Turkmenistan border crossing to host Noruz celebration

TEHRAN – Iran and Turkmenistan are scheduled to celebrate Noruz, the Persian New Year traditions shared between the two nations, during a joint event at their border crossing on March 27, CHTN reported.

Police seize narcotic drugs in northeastern Iran

TEHRAN – Anti-drug police forces have seized illicit drugs after disbanding a gang of drug traffickers in the northeastern city of Mashhad, local sources announced on Sunday.

Religious tourism: Prophet Habakkuk and his tomb tower in Iran

TEHRAN – As you know religious tourism, which marks one of the oldest forms of traveling, is exclusively or strongly-motivated by spiritual reasons. It can also be referred to as faith tourism or spiritual tourism.

37 million Iranian pilgrims, travelers visit Mashhad in 10 months

TEHRAN – Some 37 million Iranian pilgrims and travelers visited the shrine city of Mashhad, the capital of Khorasan Razavi province, since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2019).

Iranian troupe to perform folk dance at FITUR

TEHRAN – A troupe of Iranian performers from northeastern Khorasan Razavi province, are scheduled to perform traditional dance at the 40th FITUR tourism trade fair, which opened in Madrid, Spain, on January 22 and will run till January 26.

Farewell, Commander

TEHRAN - Spectacular scenes were witnessed in the packed streets of Tehran on Monday as millions came out to bid a tearful adieu to their beloved commander, Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and his comrades.

‘General of the Hearts’ honored from southwest to northeast

TEHRAN – Millions of angry mourners from all walks of life participated in separate funeral ceremonies held in the southwestern city of Ahvaz and the northeastern city of Mashhad on Sunday for Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani who was martyred in a U.S. air raid in Baghdad on Friday morning.

Holy Mashhad mourns Lt.Gen. Soleimani martyrdom

MASHHAD, Iran - Hundreds of thousands of people are attending the mourning procession for Lieutenant-General Qassem Soleimani in the shrine city of Mashhad .

Urmia-Mashhad passenger train route launched

TEHRAN – The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways launched a passenger train route on Sunday, stretching some 1,650 kilometers from the northwestern city of Urmia to the holy city of Mashhad in the northeast.

Foreign arrivals in Semnan province up 22% since March

TEHRAN – International tourist arrivals in Iran’s north-central Semnan province rose 22 percent since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), provincial tourism chief has said.