TEHRAN - A delegation of 23 poets, writers and medical professionals from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan visited historical sites and medical facilities in Iran’s western province of Hamedan as part of a cultural and scientific exchange program.

The group arrived in Hamedan on Friday to explore opportunities for cooperation in culture, science and tourism and held meetings with provincial officials during the visit, Miras Aria reported.

The program aims to review and expand cooperation in the fields of Iranian and Tajik traditional medicine, exchange experiences in healthcare, and assess Hamedan’s tourism and medical capacities.

As part of the visit, the delegation toured Hamedan’s specialized heart hospital to discuss potential collaboration in medical tourism and exchanges between universities and medical centers, the news agency added.

The group also visited several of the province’s major historical landmarks as part of efforts to familiarize participants with Hamedan’s cultural heritage and tourism infrastructure.

An academic meeting focused on shared elements of Iranian and Tajik medicine is also scheduled, with organizers saying it is intended to strengthen scientific and cultural ties between the participating countries.

Hamedan, one of Iran’s oldest cities, is known for sites including the Tomb of Abu Ali Sina, the Ganjnameh inscriptions, the Alaviyan Dome and the Ali-Sadr Cave, and has long been a center of historical and cultural exchange.

Moreover, the city of Hamedan overlaps with the UNESCO-registered Hegmataneh (aka Ecbatana), an ancient city which was once the capital of the Medes Empire and continued to be one of the most important government seats through the Achaemenid, Parthian, Sasanian, and Islamic periods.

AM