TEHRAN – Construction of a vast recreational and hospitality center officially began on Monday with a ground-breaking ceremony in Iran’s North Khorasan province.

A budget of 25 trillion rials ($595 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) has been allocated to the project, IRNA reported.

Covering an area of 32 hectares, the project that aims at developing the Holy Shrine of Imamzadeh Abbas Ibn Musa Ibn Jafar in Bojnurd, includes tourist recreational amenities, accommodation centers, malls, parking lots, and restaurants, the report added.

Located south of Bojnurd, the holy shrine is a rectangular building with an entrance in the middle of each side. The building has two newly built iwans (porches) and two shabestans.

The building is very well-proportioned and has a special beauty. The dome is covered with turquoise tiles and several inscriptions. The oldest inscription dates back to 1808, which is the date of its restoration. The structure was fully restored in 1966.

Experts believe though the northeastern province may not be the first choice of travelers, its tourism industry is getting momentum.

According to Lonely Planet, most foreign tourists pass straight through North Khorasan in transit between Mashhad and Gorgan, but if you have time to explore, it's worth diverting south from the capital, Bojnurd, towards Esfarayen, famed for its wrestling tournaments, the remarkable citadel of Belqays and the partly preserved stepped village of Roein some 20km north.

ABU/AFM