Iran’s handicraft exports hit record high in March-July

TEHRAN – Handicrafts exports from Iran hit a record high over the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-July 22, 2017) with 45.4 percent growth in contrast to the same period a year earlier, a tourism official says.

Safavid-era palace undergoes restoration

TEHRAN – Several schemes of restoration work have recently been started on Hasht Behesht Palace, an exquisite Safavid-era (1501–1736) structure in Isfahan, central Iran, CHTN reported on Sunday.

Expo to put spotlight on healthy food, healthy life

TEHRAN — Good nutrition and healthy food is our first defense against disease and our source of energy to live and be active.

By Seyyed Mostafa Mousavi Sabet

Exhibits to premiere photos of WWII Polish refugees in Isfahan

TEHRAN – Two exhibitions, which will be organized in Tehran and Isfahan during October and November, will premiere a collection of photos of the Polish people who took refuge in the central Iranian city of Isfahan from the atrocities of the Soviets’ labor camps during World War II.   

Healthcare city aims to boost Iran’s medical tourism prospects

TEHRAN – The first phase of an enormous healthcare city was officially inaugurated in the city of Isfahan, central Iran, on Monday as the country avidly seeks to surge its global share of the medical tourism market.

Pol-e Khaju: Architecturally interesting, visually appealing

TEHRAN - To experience Isfahan, a vibrant tourist city in central Iran, it is most magical to walk across Pol-e Khaju at sunset when the 17th-century bridge is lit by glorious colors.

Regional countries to help Iran reshape medical tourism

TEHRAN – Iran has signed agreements with 13 neighboring countries with the aim of developing and reorganizing its medical tourism sector.

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, cozy and symmetrical

TEHRAN – The 17th century Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan, central Iran, is one of the architectural masterpieces of Iranian architecture.

Dan Kovalik

U.S. Hands Off Iran

I just travelled to Iran where was I was invited to speak at the University of Tehran about human rights and “humanitarian intervention.” I put this term in quotes because I’ve rarely ever seen any intervention that was truly humanitarian or that produced humane results, but more on that later.

Isfahan pushes private sector for tourism, heritage projects

TEHRAN – Isfahan province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department promotes any public-private partnerships in restoring historical sites and carrying out tourism projects across the province.

Green meetings seeking environmental consciousness

TEHRAN — Environmentalists and NGOs can play a significant role in raising awareness and channeling efforts into promoting environmental values and protecting it.

Iran attends UNESCO annual assembly on creative cities

TEHRAN – Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization Deputy Director Bahman Namvar-Motlaq participated in the 12th annual meeting of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), which was held in Enghien-les-Bains, a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, from June 29 to July 2.

National Orchestra performs in Isfahan

Fereidun Shahbazian (R) conducts the National Orchestra during an open-air concert in the courtyard of Isfahan’s Chehel Sotun Palace on July 1, 2017. Singer Ali-Asghar Shahzeidi (C) also accompanies the orchestra that performed works by Ali Tajvidi and Hossein Dehlavi. The performance was repeated on Sunday night. (Mehr/Abbas Pustinduz)

Children’s film festival opens in Isfahan

TEHRAN – The 30th International Film Festival for Children and Youth opened in the central Iranian city of Isfahan on Thursday night.

Iranian airlines expand intl. flights to spur tourism growth

TEHRAN – Iran’s Mahan Air and Zagros Airlines have recently launched new direct flights to Spain and Russia respectively in a bid to accelerate the pace of tourism growth in the country.

Kashan tourist arrivals rise 62% y/y

TEHRAN - The number of foreign tourists visiting the central city of Kashan rose 62 percent to 16,300 during April 4 to June 5 in comparison to the same period last year, IRNA reported on Saturday.

Isfahan marks monthly record for tourist visits

Isfahan province hosted 123,000 foreign tourists in Ordibehesht - the second Iranian calendar month (April 21 – May 21) - the provincial tourism chief Rasoul Zargarpour said on Tuesday.

Tehran exhibit highlights Iranian handicrafts

TEHRAN – A patchwork of Iranian handicrafts have been put on show at the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting in line with a scheme that pursues encouraging the skills at various workplaces.

Tourism body pushes for quality as eco-lodges thriving across Iran

TEHRAN – Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization is stepping up efforts to improve the quality of countrywide eco-lodges that have been on the rise over the past couple of years.

Spain willing to invest in Iran’s tourism infrastructure

TEHRAN – Spain is willing to invest in tourism and hospitality infrastructures across Iran, IRNA quoted Matilde Pastora Asian Gonzalez, Secretary of State for Tourism of Spain, as saying on Friday.

Abyaneh village, open-air museum of living traditions

TEHRAN – Dominated with reddish hues and lost in labyrinth of heights, Abyaneh village is one of the oldest in Iran. It is an example of human adaptation to nature, wherein one can redraw the boundaries of time and feel a flavor of ancient Iranian culture and civilization.

Isfahan’s foreign tourist arrivals break 40-year-record

TEHRAN – Some 85 thousand foreign travelers visited Isfahan during the first Iranian month of Farvardin (Mar. 21 to Apr. 20), setting a new record for the past 40 years, Isfahan Governor General says.

Parthian era citadel to be turned into museum

TEHRAN – Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization is set to turn Narin citadel into a site museum, after a restoration project is fully implemented, CHTN reported on April 27.

ACL Matchday 5: Zob Ahan 0 – 3 Al Ain

Al Ain guaranteed themselves a place in the Round of 16 of the 2017 AFC Champions League on Monday with a 3-0 win over Zob Ahan that ensures Zoran Mamic’s team cannot finish outside the top two in Group C.

Intl. tourists aboard Golden Eagle visit World Heritage sites in Iran

TEHRAN – On Saturday, a group of foreign tourists aboard a Golden Eagle luxury train, known as a 5-star hotel on wheels, visited three UNESCO World Heritage sites, which are scattered across Khuzestan Province in southwest Iran.

Book on Bazaar of Isfahan unveiled in England 

TEHRAN – “The Bazaar of Isfahan”, a book written by British art historian Paul Olivier, was unveiled Thursday during a ceremony at the Oxford Brookes University in England.

Picture of the Day

Dammed water once again started flowing in the Zayanderud River, central city of Isfahan, early Tuesday morning. The river was unfortunately completely dried up and it will run for 22 days for agricultural use. Photo: Mohammad Reza Sharif/ Mizan

Picture of the day

Iranian forces arrest MKO ringleader in Isfahan

TEHRAN – Iranian security forces on Tuesday arrested a ringleader of Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) in the central city of Isfahan, IRIB reported.