TEHRAN – Some 6.3 trillion rials ($150 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) have been invested in the tourism sector of the northwestern province of Qazvin over the past seven years, which shows a 287 percent increase, the provincial tourism chief has said. 

With these investments, several tourism-related projects such as hotels, eco-lodge units, traditional restaurants, tourist complexes, and travel agencies are being implemented in the province, IRNA quoted Alireza Khazaeli as saying on Saturday.

The mentioned investment is in addition to the expenses incurred for the restoration of historical monuments and structures scattered across the province, the official added.

Qazvin was once the capital of the mighty Persian Empire, under Safavids, from 1548 to 98. It is a major tourist destination with a wonderfully restored caravanserai-turned-arts precinct, some quirky museums, and a handful of decent eating options. For most travelers, Qazvin is also primarily the staging point for excursions to the famous Castles of the Assassins and trekking in the sensational Alamut Valley.

Also known as the castle of the Assassins, the 12th-century Alamut castle is on top of a peak. It was once a shelter for the followers of Hasan-e Sabbah (1070–1124) who was a spiritual leader of an Islamic sect. In the early 1930s, British-Italian explorer and travel writer Freya Stark described her exploration of the place in her book “The Valleys of the Assassins”.

Qazvin is also home to one of the biggest roofed caravanserais of the country, Sa’d-al Saltaneh caravanserai. Dating back to the Qajar era, it’s a place for discovering tens of Hojreh or shops, cafes, yards, and a stunning mosque. It’s a place for visitors who want to experience the culture, culinary, and hospitality of Iran.

ABU/MG