Konkur kicks off amid pandemic

The national university entrance exam is being held under health protocols

TEHRAN – Iran’s national university entrance exam (Konkur) started on Wednesday under health protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic and will run through August 22.

Ayatollah Taskhiri passes away

TEHRAN – Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri, 76, passed away on Tuesday.

Tehran Times shines at Bourse & Media festival

Mahnaz Abdi, the economic editor of the Tehran Times, won the third place at the fourth national Bourse & Media Festival, which was held online on Sunday.

Freed POWs praise medical staff battling COVID-19

TEHRAN – A number of freed prisoners of war (POWs) went to the Khatam al-Anbia specialized hospital in Tehran on Saturday, appreciating medical staff for their efforts in the fight against the coronavirus.

Perseid meteor shower shines in dark sky

The annual Perseid meteor shower has just peaked, but it's not too late to spot one of the famed "shooting stars" in the night sky.

Mobile medical, patient transport systems inaugurated

Deputy Chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari (R) inaugurated mobile medical and patient transport systems as well as alcohol and antiseptics production units at the Army’s medical sciences university in Tehran on Wednesday.  He also paid a visit to the crisis management division of the Army’s health and medical education department at the university.

New generation of running blade prosthetics unveiled

The new generation of running blade prosthetics was unveiled in a ceremony on Sunday in the presence of Sourena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology.

Iran sets up field hospital in Beirut

Iran has dispatched two shipments of humanitarian aid to Beirut following devastating explosions in the Lebanese capital, the Mehr news agency correspondent from Beirut reported. The consignments include food and medical supplies, and field hospitals for treatment of the injured.

Ghadir naqqali festival announced winners

TEHRAN – Winners of the fourth edition of the Ghadir Naqqali and Pardekhani Festival were honored during a ceremony at the courtyard of Namayesh Radio in Tehran.

Wrestlers team up to support corona-affected people

TEHRAN - Renowned Iranian wrestling champions and coaches joined together in a ceremony in Tehran on Tuesday to collect and dispatch packages of food for families affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Golestan hosting online marriage festival of Iranian tribes

TEHRAN – The second national marriage festival of Iranian tribes opened online in northern Golestan province on Monday.

Solar energy, an advantage for Iran

With more than 300 sunny days throughout the year, Iran has an advantage for benefitting from solar energy.

PhD entrance exam held under health protocols

The national entrance exam for PhD admission was held on Thursday in 60 cities across the country under health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Dreamy cottages, floating trees and tranquility of wetland atmosphere

In a magnificent and serene atmosphere, Estil Lagoon, which is sandwiched between towering mountains and Caspian Sea coast, offers its visitors a relaxed memorable stay in cozy cottages with vistas of roiling clouds of steam, floating trees and lush green rice paddies.

Tilework artist Mohammad-Ali Elhaminia dies at 86 

TEHRAN – Tilework artist Mohammad-Ali Elhaminia, considered the oldest surviving master who created designs for the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad, has died. He was 86. 

Harvesting wheat by hand still works

A farmer in Arak, the central Markazi province, is putting the finishing touch on harvesting a large field of wheat, July 26, 2020. Traditional harvesting is still conventional in the region due to the high costs of machinery.

Precipitations fill up dam in central Iran

Alghadir dam in the central province of Markazi has been refilled once again as precipitations in the past year reached normal and above-normal levels in the region. The dam was established in 1993. The drought situation over the past couple of years had decreased the volume of water at its reservoir drastically, but it is now replenished with water up to 96 percent of full capacity.

Comet 'Neowise' shines over Iranian sky

Comet 'Neowise' was seen on Wednesday, July 22, in the night sky over the city of Arak, central Iran, much to the delight of skywatchers. Officially known as Comet C/2020 F3, it is the brightest to be seen in the Northern Hemisphere in 25 years. The comet disappears on July 23 and it won’t be seen again for another 6,800 years.

Sa’d-al Saltaneh, a top tourist site in Qazvin

The 19th-century bazaar of Sa’d-al Saltaneh is a top tourist site in the city of Qazvin, which was once the capital of the Persian Empire under Safavids from 1548-98.

Iranians recovered from COVID-19 donate plasma

Patients who have recovered from coronavirus referred to blood transfusion center at a hospital in Tehran for plasma donation, July 18, 2020.

Father of Iran wrestling Abolmolooki dies

TEHRAN – Kyoomars Abolmolooki, the father of Iran’s modern wrestling, passed away on Sunday.

In memory of Maryam Mirzakhani

July 14 marks the third anniversary of the death of prominent Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani. In 2014, she became the first female winner of the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics. Although Mirzakhani passed away in 2017, her invaluable contributions to the field of mathematics endure, and her trailblazing career has paved the way forward for many women mathematicians

Carpet-weaving, most common home job in Jiria

A couple weaves a carpet with specific pattern on an old loom installed at their home in the small village of Jiria, Farahan county, central Markazi province, on July 9, 2020.

Mandaeans practicing baptism in Karun River

Followers of Mandaeism are performing baptism in Karun River, southwestern Khuzestan province. According to Encyclopedia Iranica, the Mandaeans must have arrived into Iran from the west (i.e., Jordan, Palestine) as early as the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.

Wildfire sweeping through oak forest in southwest

A wildfire that erupted on Monday has burned so far some 100 hectares area of oak tree plantations in the southwestern Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province.

Thorough research sheds new light on 21 ancient sites across central Iranian plateau

An aerial photo shows the ruins of a millennia-old human settlement, which along with 20 others, has recently been identified during what is called the ‘most extensive’ systematic field research so far conducted in the central Iranian plateau, July 6, 2020. 

Photo: IRNA / Raheleh Hesari

Passed down from generation to generation: Turkmen jewelry designs 

An Iranian craftswoman makes a final inspection on traditional handmade necklaces in her home, which is also house to a small family workshop for crafting personal ornamentations, in Turkmen Sahra, a region in the northeast of Iran near the Caspian Sea, June 30, 2020. 

In memory of Iran Air Flight 655 victims

On July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes of the United States Navy fired missiles at an Iran Air Airbus A300B2 which was flying over the Strait of Hormuz from the port city of Bandar Abbas to Dubai, carrying 274 passengers and 16 crew members.

Photo: ISNA/ Mahsa Ramezani

Harvest season brings new life to Iran’s Alamut

A farmer harvests red cherries in a garden on the outskirts of Alamut in Qazvin province, north-central Iran, June 29, 2020. The harvest season commenced couple of days ago in numerous lush gardens that are dotted in the mountainous region.

Mes Sungun claim Iran Futsal Super League title

TEHRAN – Mes Sungun defeated Giti Pasand Isfahan to win Iran Futsal Super League title for the third time in a row.