Afshin Majlesi

Total:209

  • It’s time to rid Iran’s millennium-old brick tower of weeds 2019-09-03 21:33

    By Afshin Majlesi

    It’s time to rid Iran’s millennium-old brick tower of weeds

    TEHRAN – It’s quite natural that weeds spread almost everywhere in a mild and humid climate; they grow, whether we like it or not!

  • Foreign travelers visit the UNESCO-registered Imam Square, formerly named Naqsh-e Jahan Square, in Isfahan, central Iran. It almost always feels full of life thanks to being a prime destination for both domestic and foreign travelers. The square was laid out in the very early 17th century under the reign of the Safavid ruler, Shah Abbas the Great, to signal the importance of Isfahan as a capital of a powerful empire. 2019-09-01 18:13

    World Tourism Day to focus on job generation, better future

    TEHRAN - World Tourism Day is annually commemorated on September 27 with worldwide celebrations under the auspices of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). 

  • I have traveled to Iran twice with similar delegations and had experiences that were very rewarding. The people there are friendly, down to earth and generous, and seeing Iran for yourself puts a whole new perspective on any prior information you might have 2019-08-31 19:44

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Eye-opening experience: As many Americans as possible should visit Iran

    TEHRAN - Judith Bello, a long-time American peace activist, who has visited Iran for two times, believes such a journey “will be an eye-opening experience”.

  • Meet the man whose brain makes him experiencing new forms of arts 2019-08-30 18:35

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Meet the man whose brain makes him experiencing new forms of arts

    TEHRAN – Shahram Amiri is a versatile Iranian craftsman who has always wished to experience new forms of arts from his childhood to the moment in his early sixties.

  • More foreign tourists spectate religious rituals while in Yazd 2019-08-24 20:10

    More foreign tourists spectate religious rituals while in Yazd

    TEHRAN – Over the past couple of years, religious rituals have attracted more foreign travelers as spectators to Iran’s Yazd province, CHTN reported on Saturday.

  • Ray Cook is seen in his Land Cruiser opposite the Tehran Times headquarters in downtown Tehran, August 19, 2019. 2019-08-23 19:35

     By Afshin Majlesi

    Traveler recommends potential tourists to visit Iran before a “big influx”

    Many tourism associates believe that Iran is still somewhat of a lesser-known destination for many avid globetrotters, saying the country, despite having enormous potentials, has a long way to go to occupy a dominant position in world tourism market.

  •  Ali-Asghar Mounesan in an undated photo 2019-08-21 19:39

    Mounesan named acting tourism minister

    TEHRAN - In a decree on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appointed Ali-Asghar Mounesan as the acting tourism minister.

  • Medical travelers hold significant share of arrivals in Iran: tourism chief 2019-08-20 21:42

    Medical travelers hold significant share of arrivals in Iran: tourism chief

    TEHRAN – Iran tourism chief has said that medical [and health] travelers constitute a significant share of arrivals in the country.

  • Beat the heat with tasty Iranian cold soup “Ab Doogh Khiar” 2019-08-13 20:41

    Beat the heat with tasty Iranian cold soup “Ab Doogh Khiar”

    TEHRAN – The summer heatwave here in Iran and many other places across the globe can be dealt with a refreshing recipe like the Iranian cold soup “Ab Doogh Khiar”!

  • Ciara and Lennart in their camper van (Photo: Maryam Kamyab, July 29,  2019) 2019-08-02 20:13

    By Afshin Majlesi, Mehdi Sepahvand

    Belgian globetrotters share us their new perception of Iran

    TEHRAN – Last Monday, a Belgian couple, who are on an overland journey to China, paid a visit to The Tehran Times, where they let us share their views, experiences and feelings about Iran in a cozy chat with the daily.

  • Travelers pose for a photo during their visits to the atmospheric Nasir al-Molk Mosque in Shiraz, southern Iran. 2019-07-16 19:20

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Iran travel sector: Ups and downs since U.S. reimposed sanctions

    TEHRAN – Last November, the Trump administration reinstated sanctions on Iran, mainly the ones that had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, in order to batter Iran’s economy, however, according to official data, they have so far failed to lessen foreign arrivals to the Islamic Republic.

  • People visit Iran’s Kaldar cave, where a fossilized skull attributed to Homo sapiens, was unearthed. 2019-07-14 23:30

    Preliminary studies start on fossilized skull found in western Iran

    TEHRAN – Preliminary studies have been started on pieces of a fossilized skull, which was untethered earlier in western Iran. The skull is attributed to Homo sapiens.

  • People visit the 17th-century Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, one of the masterpieces of Iranian architecture in Isfahan. 2019-07-09 20:36

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Is Iran safe for Americans to visit?

    TEHRAN – The matter of security in Iran is essentially considered as a complex question for any U.S. citizen willing to visit the Islamic Republic.

  • Rare dovetail-joints found in UNESCO-tagged Pasargadae 2019-07-08 20:25

    Rare dovetail-joints found in UNESCO-tagged Pasargadae

    TEHRAN – Personnel of Pasargadae have recently found two rare dovetail-joints, which used to attach massive stone slabs, pillars and columns in the UNESCO World Heritage site that was once the capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC), who ordered its construction.

  • Worldwide Armenians to reunion at St. Thaddeus 2019-07-03 19:38

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Worldwide Armenians to reunite at St. Thaddeus

    TEHRAN – Hundreds of Christian worshippers are getting prepared to head for St. Thaddeus to observe a religious ceremony passed down from generation to generation.

  • People tour the Portuguese Castle of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf 2019-06-22 18:43

    Visit Portuguese Castle of Hormuz

    Where you may soak up silence while traveling through time

    TEHRAN – The crumbling Portuguese Castle of Hormuz Island, built in the early 16th century, is one of the last surviving monuments of the colonial rule in the Persian Gulf. It is now a tourism attraction where you can soak up the silence while traveling through time. For visitors it seems to be easy to imagine the hustle and bustle of Portuguese military forces five centuries ago!

  • A view of the restored Zein-o-din caravanserai in Yazd province, central Iran. 2019-05-31 19:34

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Caravanserais and time travel to forgotten ages

    TEHRAN – For many travelers to Iran, staying in or even visiting a centuries-old caravanserai, can be a wide experience; they have an opportunity to feel the past, a time travel back into a forgotten age!

  • People walk through the atmospheric Darband village in northern Tehran.  2019-05-18 22:56

    By Afshin Majlesi 

    Cool destinations to go if you need to escape the heat in Tehran 

    TEHRAN – If you can’t stand the heat in Tehran and want to take a break, don’t be disappointed!

  • People visit Badab-e Surt, a tourist destination in northern Iran. 2019-05-13 20:04

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Badab-e Surt: The rolling hills and lush landscape

    Sure, trips to Tehran, Isfahan or Shiraz are nice — but sometimes the best vacations come from traveling off the beaten path.

  • A review of Iran’s tourism in 1397 2019-03-18 21:56

    By Afshin Majlesi

     Solid growth: A review of Iran’s tourism in 1397

    TEHRAN – How Iran’s tourism industry has performed over the current Iranian calendar year 1397 (ending on March 20)? Well, according to data compiled by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, it has experienced a solid growth.

  • Lipar, a small lake in pink 2019-03-17 10:30

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Lipar, a small lake in pink

    TEHRAN – Lipar, a small lake which usually turns pink, is an off-the-radar tourist destination in Iran, which has never been introduced completely!

  • Poets’ Mausoleum, a prime cultural destination 2019-03-11 22:20

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Poets’ Mausoleum, a prime cultural destination

    TEHRAN – Poets’ Mausoleum or Maqbaratoshoara is a prime cultural destination for travelers to Tabriz. It attracts a great number of Iranian and foreign visitors interested in literature and art.

  • A view of the UNESCO-registered Imam Square  2019-03-01 14:51

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Isfahan: Why it’s great to wandering about

    TEHRAN – Soaked in a rich history, Isfahan was once a crossroad of international trade and diplomacy in Iran and now it is one of Iran’s top tourist destinations for good reasons. 

  • Octavian Alimuddin in an undated photo 2019-02-13 21:53

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Many Indonesians want to visit Iran: envoy

    TEHRAN - Jakarta ambassador to Tehran said on Tuesday that many Indonesians want to visit Iran as he encouraged Iranians to visit the world’s largest island country.

  • Kashmir’s splendors, arts and cuisine come to Iran in exhibit 2019-02-06 10:06

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Kashmir’s splendors, arts and cuisine come to Iran in exhibit

    TEHRAN – The Economic Cooperation Organization Cultural Institute observed Kashmir Solidarity Day on Tuesday by hosting a walk-through exhibition, which showcases arts and cuisine as well as photos of natural beauties of the Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

  • People visit Menar Jonban, a tourist destination in Isfahan, central Iran. 2018-12-31 21:11

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Shaking minarets, enigmatic destination worth visiting once!

    For centuries Menar Jonban (“shaking minarets”), which is located in Isfahan, central Iran, has been a source of charm for Iranians and even foreign visitors because its dual minarets are really prone to vibrate!

  • Shab-e Yalda 2018-12-19 20:04

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Shab-e Yalda: A golden opportunity to come together

    For Iranian families and friends, Shab-e Yalda (Yalda Night), has long been a treasured time to come together and celebrate in honor of the longest night of the year!

  • A painting by the French architect Pascal Coste, who visited Isfahan in c. 1840, depicts the main courtyard and two iwans of the Imam Mosque. 2018-09-04 10:10

    Imam Mosque: Elegant, iconic and visually stunning

    With its perfect proportions and iconic blue-tiled mosaics, the Imam Mosque forms an elegant, visually stunning historical monument, which stands tall at the southern side of a massive square of the same name; the UNESCO-registered Imam Square of Isfahan in central Iran.

  • Khane-Irani tries to build empathy for simple folk styles of decoration in modern homes. 2018-09-01 17:41

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Feel “Iranian homes” in the hands of artisans

    A walk around the 30th National Crafts Exhibition

    In the Information Age when smartphones and social media are ubiquitous, people may sense a cozier atmosphere while connected to the Mother Nature.

  • View over Meybod, an oasis city in Iran’s Yazd Province 2018-08-09 09:42

    By Afshin Majlesi

    Meybod: Open-air museum of ancient watermills

    Some 50 kilometers north of Yazd, central Iran, lies the sprawling mud-brick city of Meybod, whose tourism officials are planning to internationally promote it as the “city of watermills”.