Tehran welcomes Beijing's initiative to revive glory of ancient Silk Road

TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan has said Iran backs China’s initiative for reviving the glory of ancient Silk Road, which existed for thousands of years, passing through many different empires, kingdoms, reigns and societies throughout history.

Iran’s prehistoric Hyrcanian Forest still unknown to many

TEHRAN – Iran’s UNESCO-registered Hyrcanian Forest (also known as Caspian Forest), dating back some 50 million years, is a unique place that is still unknown to many.

UNESCO-tagged monastery’s main dome restored

TEHRAN – Main dome of the Monastery of Saint Thaddeus, a UNESCO-registered property in northwest Iran, has recently been restored successfully, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

By Afshin Majlesi

Iran at the height of travel season

TEHRAN – Perhaps it is tough to define a best time for visiting Iran, which is known as a four-season country, I mean spring, summer, fall and winter; each having its own charms and travel lovers.

Kerman’s H1 foreign arrivals up 16% y/y

TEHRAN - International tourist arrivals in Iran’s southeastern Kerman province rose 16 percent in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21) from a year earlier.

Tribal rituals, arts and crafts on show at Kermanshah festival

TEHRAN – Tribespeople and nomads, who are natives of 21 Iranian provinces, on Saturday started showcasing and promoting their rituals, arts, crafts and souvenirs at a national festival in the western city of Kermanshah.

By Mohammad Ali Haqshenas

Jakarta’s Old Town, a must-see destination frozen from colonial era

JAKARTA (MNA) – Entering the town’s main square, one can truly feel Dutch colonial rule and its architectural touches which have remained almost in a good shape.

Aras Geopark one step closer for being global

TEHRAN – Iran is completing an all-inclusive dossier for its Aras Geopark hoping the northwestern area to be registered on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s Global Geoparks list.

New postal stamp marks UNESCO’s designation of Hyrcanian Forest

TEHRAN – Iran has issued a new commemorative postal stamp to mark UNESCO’s designation of Hyrcanian Forest, which form a green arc of jungle, separated from the Caucasus to the west and from semi-desert areas to the east.

Foreign ambassadors, diplomats invited to tribes festival

TEHRAN – A number of foreign ambassadors, diplomats, as well as cultural and economic attaches have been invited to attend a regional nomadic festival, which opens today in Iran’s northern Golestan province.

New archaeological season begins in Burnt City

TEHRAN – A group of Iranian archaeologists and fellow international experts have recently commenced a fresh round of exploration in the Burnt City, a UNESCO-registered site in southeastern Iran.

National library to host event on World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

TEHRAN – The National Library and Archives of Iran is slated to host a special event today to commemorate the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage and to raise general awareness of the need to take urgent measures and to acknowledge the importance of such documents.

A wild, remote adventure to tour Iran’s giant dunes

TEHRAN – Shahdad, a major part of the UNESCO-registered Lut desert, has long been a destination for adventurers, nature lovers, off-roaders and trekkers.

Discover incredible rock formations in southern Iranian island 

TEHRAN – You can find one of the world’s most eye-catching nature’s creativities at its finest on Qeshm Island, southern Iran, where stunning rock formations are a sign of perpetual thumping of the waves, storms and raging winds.

Iran’s Bandar Abbas, Sanandaj join UNESCO Creative Cities Network     

TEHRAN – The Iranian cities of Bandar Abbas and Sanandaj have recently been designated as UNESCO Creative Cities by the UN cultural body.

The Great Wall of Gorgan: longest ancient barrier between Central Europe and China

TEHRAN – Stretched for almost 200 kilometers along northern Iran, the ancient Great Wall of Gorgan was constructed from 420s CE to 530s as a northern frontier of the then mighty Persian Empire, which was then ruled under Sassanids.

UNESCO assessors to visit Uraman landscape in western Iran

TEHRAN - A team of experts affiliated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is scheduled to visit Iran assessing Uraman landscape for possibly listing of the historical region as a World Heritage.

Archaeology Without Borders restarts Persepolis restoration work

TEHRAN - A team of international archaeologists and restorers who are affiliated with the Archaeology Without Borders foundation has commenced the second season of its activity in Iran’s UNESCO-tagged Persepolis, which was once the ceremonial capital of the mighty Achaemenid Empire.

Foreign visits to millennia-old Hasanlu on the rise

TEHRAN – Foreign visits to Hasanlu, a millennia-old archaeological site in northwest Iran, has been on the rise over the past couple of months, director of the historical site has said.

Apadana Staircase leads you to mythical arts of Persia

TEHRAN – Apadana Staircase is one of the most striking sections of the UNESCO-registered Persepolis, southern Iran.

Iran submits dossier to UNESCO for listing Uraman landscape

TEHRAN – Iran has recently submitted a dossier to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for possible inscription of the Uraman cultural landscape which is situated west of the country.

By Afshin Majlesi

Spark your wanderlust: how influencers can help?

In the current fast-paced realm of advertising and marketing, travel influencers have changed the whole game as they have succeeded to materialize a totally new and self-directed channels to reach audiences in a more authentic and personal way, even influencing to shape their wanderlusts.

‘ECO cultural capital status to foster Ardebil’s sustainable development’

TEHRAN – Selection of Ardebil as a cultural capital for the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) will be a turning point to foster sustainable development in the province, governor general of Ardebil said on Wednesday.

Over 43,000 people tour UNESCO-tagged ensemble of Sasanian cities in H1

TEHRAN – Some 43,650 travelers toured the UNESCO-registered Sasanian-era (224–651) Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region in southern Iran during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21).

Visits to Golestan tourist attractions at 15.7m in H1

TEHRAN – More than 15.7 million visits to Golestan province’s tourist attractions were registered during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), provincial tourism chief announced on Saturday.

Iran 2nd among world’s fastest growing tourist destinations

TEHRAN – Iran has been introduced by United Nations World Tourism Organization as the world’s second fastest growing tourist destination in 2018, with 49.9 percent growth in arrivals year on year.

Conference to discuss tourism growth in eastern Iran

TEHRAN – Six eastern Iranian provinces are scheduled to discuss ways to expand tourism in a conference which will be held in the city of Mashhad on October 10, CHTN reported.

Ardavan Jafarian selected for Intl. Music Council’s executive board

TEHRAN – Iranian musician and music publisher Ardavan Jafarian has been elected as a new member of the Executive Board of the International Music Council (IMC), the Persian service of ISNA reported on Monday. 

Monastery of Saint Thaddeus being restored meeting UNESCO standards

TEHRAN - The Monastery of Saint Thaddeus is being restored according to UNESCO standards and benefiting from technical experts, director of Iran’s Armenian monastic ensembles has said.

UNESCO-tagged Ali Qapu receives over 375,000 visitors in H1

TEHRAN – The 16th-century Ali Qapu Palace, an element of the UNESCO-registered Imam Square in Isfahan, central Iran, welcomed over 375,000 visitors during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21).