TEHRAN -A total of 17 historical monuments were registered on the list of valuable historical and cultural monuments of Mazandaran province, director-general of Mazandaran Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department has said.

According to IRIB, Deputy Head of Zanjan Tourism Department Davoud Abian said that this cultural-tourism event was implemented in cooperation with Zanjan Tourism Department and the Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies of Zanjan province.

He said the main goal of this program was to create an educational and recreational experience both for mothers and their kids so that the kids could become familiar with rich history, pure culture and tourism attractions of Zanjan province.

The tour was held to strengthen family bonds in the context of cultural tourism. Using places like Rakhtshooy Khaneh (washing house) helps children understand that history is not just in books, but also in the structures and spaces of everyday life, he added.

Abian continued that this visit was more than a simple show; visitors were able to gain a good understanding of social developments through hearing stories and seeing old tools.

He said: “Our goal is not just a day of fun. We are investing in the future generation. If our children are alienated from the historical and cultural attractions of their province today, they will have no motivation to protect them in the future.”

Abian added that  developing sustainable tourism requires active education from an early age, and this mother-child tour was a successful example of combining education, family and tourism.

These tours with different focuses (such as food tourism or family eco-tourism) will continue in the coming months so that tourism in Zanjan becomes a comprehensive and continuous activity, he concluded.

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.

In  January 2020, Zanjan was designated as a ‘world city of filigree’ by the World Crafts Council after the WCC assessors visited various craft workshops, stores, exhibits, and bazaars of the city in a two-day itinerary in December 2019.

Filigree consists of curling, twisting, or plaiting fine, pliable metal threads and soldering them at their points of contact with each other with a metal groundwork.

KD