Iran eyes to attract more travelers from Turkey

TEHRAN – Iranian travel agencies plan to offer stimulus packages and hold familiarization tours for Turkish agencies, tour operators, journalists, and influencers in a bid to attract more travelers from the neighboring country.

Visit 17th-century museum-like factory in Isfahan

TEHRAN – “Assarkhane” is a Persian word equivalent to a traditional oil-extracting factory where special mills are/were used to grind stuff such as stones, turmeric, and pepper. There were many Assarkhanes operational in every corner of Iran in the time of yore.

Restoration project starts on Bronze-Age objects found in northeast Iran

TEHRAN – A restoration and rehabilitation project has been commenced on 20 Bronze-Age relics which have recently been excavated by a team of Iranian and German archaeologists at Tepe Rivi, an ancient hill in northeastern North Khorasan province.

17th-century masterpiece of Persian architecture undergoes urgent restoration

TEHRAN – Segments of Si-o-Se-Pol, the 17th-century bridge widely known as a masterpiece of Persian architecture, has undergone urgent restoration in Isfahan, central Iran.

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. 

Rice planting commences at paddy fields in Alamut

Farmers plant rice seedlings on paddy fields across Alamut, a semi-mountainous region in Qazvin province, west-central Iran, July 5, 2020.

Iran, ITC developing national tourism export strategies

TEHRAN – Iran’s deputy tourism chief has said that the social, wildlife, historical, cultural, and medical realms of tourism have been selected for the ongoing cooperation between Iran and the International Trade Centre (ITC) in the way of developing the national tourism export strategies for the Islamic Republic.

Lorestan province to hold fam tour despite pandemic

TEHRAN – Lorestan tourism department is scheduled to hold a familiarization tour in a bid to promote traveling to the western province.

Archaeological survey identifies 205 relics, ancient sites in Kerman

TEHRAN – A total of 205 relics and ancient sites have been identified during an archaeological survey in Kuhbanan, the southeastern Kerman province, suggesting that the region has long been a hub for Tutia (vitriol) production and the main corridor for human migration into the eastern parts of the Asian continent.

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. 

‘Effective advertising could get tourism out of coronavirus crisis’

TEHRAN – Iran’s deputy tourism minister Vali Teymouri said on Wednesday that producing effective advertising content on social media could get the tourism sector out of the coronavirus crisis. 

Museum, featuring objects from 5th BC onwards, inaugurated in northern Iran

TEHRAN – On Thursday, a cultural heritage museum, featuring relics from 5th BC to the contemporary era, was officially inaugurated in the premises of the Ramsar Palace Museum, in Mazandaran province, northern Iran.

Anthropology museum ‘cleaned out’ in downtown Tehran

TEHRAN – A burglar has ‘cleaned out’ a museum of anthropology, which is located within the premises of a centuries-old mansion called Sara-ye Kazemi in downtown Tehran.

UNWTO meeting: Iran outlines measures to help tourism recover from COVID-19

TEHRAN – Iran took part in a virtual seminar of the United Nations World Tourism Organization on Wednesday, outlining measures the country has taken so far to prop up the travel industry since the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Iran setting rules to resume foreign tourist arrivals amid pandemic

TEHRAN – The ministries of tourism and health in close collaboration with several other government bodies are defining a series of rules for admitting foreign travelers to the country amid a standstill in the global tourism industry caused mainly by the coronavirus.

Golestan Palace, Foreign Ministry to cooperate in cultural heritage sphere

TEHRAN – The UNESCO-registered Golestan Palace and Foreign Ministry’s documents center will form a working group to conduct joint studies and exchange experience in the arena of cultural heritage. 

49 tourism projects worth $273m to come on stream

TEHRAN – A total of 49 tourism projects, worth 11,500 billion rials (some $273m at the official rate of 42,000 rials) will soon be inaugurated across the country.

Crumbling but still fabulous: UNESCO-registered Takht-e Soleyman

TEHRAN - Photos depict scenes from the UNESCO-registered Takht-e Soleyman (“Solomon’s Throne”), a ruined sanctuary in northwest Iran, which is still a source of charm for avid holidaymakers, history buffs and archaeologists.

Discover Ghadamgah, a millennia-old place of worship embedded beneath rock cliff

TEHRAN – The creation of rock architecture across the Iranian plateau is influenced by the religious, geographical, and political atmosphere of their time.

flydubai to resume Iran flights

TEHRAN – The “flydubai”, legally named Dubai Aviation Corporation, is scheduled to resume its Iran services as coronavirus-related restrictions are being eased across the globe.  

Shafei Jameh Mosque: a place of worship notable for atmospheric interior design

TEHRAN – Photos show the lavishly-decorated prayer hall of Shafei Jameh Mosque, which stands tall in the ancient city of Kermanshah in western Iran.

UNESCO-registered Yazd to develop children’s tourism

TEHRAN – The historical oasis city of Yazd, which is a UNESCO World Heritage in central Iran, is aimed to develop needed infrastructure and prerequisites for becoming a top destination for children’s tourism as well.

Over 5.7m overnight stays recorded across Iran in month

TEHRAN – More than 5.7 million overnight stays, mainly by domestic travelers, were recorded across Iran during the month of Khordad (May 21 –June 20), deputy tourism minister has announced.

Staying cool in waterfalls

A man jumps from a waterfall to both escape the summer heat and have fun in Haviq district, northern Gilan province, June 22, 2020.

Iranian airlines start selling Tehran-Istanbul tickets

TEHRAN – Some Iranian airline companies have resumed selling tickers for Tehran-Istanbul flights, the secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines has said.

Prehistorical petroglyph bearing Pahlavi script discovered in central Iran

TEHRAN – A prehistorical petroglyph, which bears Pahlavi script written by ordinary people of the time, has recently been found during an archaeological survey in Teymareh region of Khomein county, central Iran.

Tabas Geopark moves closer to possible UNESCO registration

TEHRAN – An extensive dossier, which is an essential prerequisite for possible UNESCO inscription of a site, has almost been completed for the gigantic Tabas Geopark, which is situated in east-central Iran.

Iran ‘has earned plaudits’ to ease COVID-19 impact on tourism, UNWTO says

TEHRAN – The United Nations World Tourism Organization has praised efforts made by Iran's tourism ministry to manage the travel industry during the coronavirus pandemic.

Iranian cave estimated to date over 63,000 years

TEHRAN – Nearly one decade of archaeological surveys at Kaldar cave has concluded that parts of this western Iranian shelter date more than 63,000 years.

Khoy, an ancient town of sunflowers, snowcapped mountains

TEHRAN – Khoy may not be on every traveler’s radar, but it is a natural fit for eco-tourists as it offers loads of scenic hikes, panoramic views besides colorful geological features. Khoy has long been a melting pot of cultural exchange.