TEHRAN- A recent familiarization tour, dedicated to journalists and photographers, is expected to put Anguran, which is a massive lead and zinc mine, on the tourist map in the northwestern Iranian province of Zanjan. 

The journalists who participated in the one-day event on Saturday are expected to introduce and promote the tourist complex of the mine, which is located 130 kilometers west of the provincial capital of Zanjan, the provincial tourism chief said on Saturday. 

The participants visited the underground tunnels, travertine mines, and machineries used for mining, and they closely observed the methods of exploration and extraction and the ways of extracting minerals and rocks, especially precious stones, Amir Arjmand announced. 

Strict health protocols and social distancing were a vital portion of the tour, the official added. 

Last May, the official announced that Iran plans to promote mining tourism in Zanjan by implementing a project in Anguran lead and zinc mine which involves establishing some residential units and facilities for tours and individual travelers.

He expressed hope that the mine complex would be hosting tourists and sightseers in near future.

Mining tourism is a new category in the tourism industry, which involves tours of both abandoned and active mines, and it is expected to have a great impact on the economy in the region, as well as tourism, development, and job creation, he added.

Anguran mine, which is considered to be the largest lead and zinc mine in West Asia, is one of the few active mines in the country. 

About 500 miners work in different sections of Anguran mine, which dates back to 1922. 

In recent years, Iran has developed new programs for tourism development in different branches of the industry including agritourism, which is a subset of a larger industry called rural tourism that includes resorts, off-site farmers' markets, non-profit agricultural tours, and other leisure and hospitality businesses that attract visitors to the countryside.

Zanjan is one of the cities founded by Sassanid King Ardashir I (180-242 CE). The province makes a base for wider explorations with the architectural wonder of Soltaniyeh, the subterranean delights of the Katale-Khor caves, colorful mountains, and the UNESCO-registered Takht-e Soleiman ruins are nearby.

ABU/AFM