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2026-10-13 18:07
By Afshin Majlesi
North Khorasan, the province I almost missed
TEHRAN - A friend’s suggestion was all it took to set me on the road to North Khorasan, one of the few Iranian provinces I had never visited and, until then, had rarely considered as a travel destination.
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2026-10-13 10:20
Tehran Auto Plaza aims to simplify the journey from car shopping to ownership
TEHRAN – Buying a car can involve more than choosing a model and agreeing on a price. Prospective buyers may need to visit several dealerships, compare technical specifications, arrange financing, verify a used vehicle’s condition and navigate paperwork before completing a transaction. Tehran Auto Plaza is being developed around the idea that much of this journey could happen in one place.
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2026-10-12 17:20
By Afshin Majlesi
Jajarm offers budget-friendly rural escape, but rail links need improvement
JAJARM, North Khorasan Province – With its quiet rural surroundings, historical railway station and proximity to protected natural areas, Jajarm has the potential to attract travelers seeking an affordable alternative to Iran’s busier tourist destinations. But poor railway facilities, limited train tickets and a shortage of visitor services remain major obstacles to turning that potential into a thriving tourism destination.
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2026-10-04 16:54
By Afshin Majlesi
Iran has the attractions, the challenge is turning them into tourism: Javad Gharaei
TEHRAN - Iran does not lack tourism attractions. What it has struggled to do, says Iranian traveler and documentary filmmaker Javad Gharaei, is turn the country’s extraordinary natural and cultural diversity into a tourism industry capable of attracting visitors, generating revenue and properly introducing the ancient country to the world.
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2026-09-28 16:51
By Afshin Majlesi
Tehran gallery traces capital’s past, explores future of smart tourism
TEHRAN – A new gallery in Tehran is taking visitors on a journey through the capital’s political, social, cultural and artistic history while using digital technology and artificial intelligence to offer a glimpse of how tourism in the city could evolve in the future.
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2026-09-28 13:41
Afshin Majlesi
Kenargerd Caravanserai gets new life as cultural, tourism complex
TEHRAN – The first phase of restoration and development works at the historic Kenargerd Caravanserai in Hasanabad, Fashapuyeh district, south of Tehran province, was inaugurated on Sunday, marking World Tourism Day.
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2026/09/27
By Afshin Majlesi
Where the road became a destination: Iran’s historical caravanserais
TEHRAN - For centuries, crossing Iran was as much a test of endurance as it was a journey of discovery. Merchants moved goods between distant markets, pilgrims traveled toward sacred places, and ordinary travelers followed routes across deserts, mountains and plains. Between these long stretches of road stood caravanserais, places where a journey could pause, animals could be rested, goods could be protected and strangers could share food, stories and news.
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2026-09-25 16:40
By Afshin Majlesi
Iran, India have huge potential for cooperation in health and tourism: Ambassador
TEHRAN – New Delhi’s Ambassador to Tehran Vishwesh Negi has highlighted the significant potential for Iran-India cooperation in traditional and modern medicine, pharmaceuticals and tourism, as well as in strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties.
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2026-09-23 18:16
By Afshin Majlesi
Indian embassy celebrates Ayurveda Day, highlights Iran cooperation
TEHRAN - The embassy of India in Tehran hosted a ceremony on Wednesday to mark National Ayurveda Day under the theme “Ayurveda for a Healthier Tomorrow,” bringing together diplomats, physicians, media representatives and enthusiasts of traditional medicine.
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2026-09-20 14:16
By Afshin Majlesi
In Urmia, the grape is more than a fruit
URMIA, West Azarbaijan Province - By late afternoon, the road out of Urmia was beginning to clog. Our flight had landed around 5 p.m., and after a quick check-in at the hotel, we set off for Chi Chest Coastal Village, near Lake Urmia, where the 9th Urmia Grape Festival was underway from Sep.10 to 20.
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2026-09-13 17:14
By Afshin Majlesi
A different way to travel: Azadeh Abedinzadeh explains
TEHRAN - Tourism is often measured by the visitors it attracts and the income they generate. But what if its success could also be measured by the forests it helps protect, the traditions it keeps alive and the opportunities it creates for local communities? This is the thinking behind regenerative tourism, an approach that seeks to move beyond reducing tourism’s negative impacts and toward restoring and strengthening the places people visit.
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2026-09-08 13:14
By Afshin Majlesi
Tehran metro takes on a new role in urban tourism
TEHRAN - Tourism maps have been installed at 24 metro stations in Tehran to help passengers discover historical, cultural and tourism attractions located around the stations, the Tehran Municipality Tourism Headquarters said.
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2026-08-31 14:14
By Afshin Majlesi
From rail to coast and wellness: A new tourism chain takes shape in northern Iran
TEHRAN - Traveling with a group of fellow journalists from Tehran to Bandar-e Anzali recently offered us more than a two-day tour of tourism projects under development. The journey was designed to show how railway travel, coastal destinations, accommodation, recreation and wellness services could be brought together to form a single tourism experience.
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2026-08-17 16:36
By Afshin Majlesi
Tehran municipality official highlights restoration of war-damaged heritage sites
TEHRAN – Ali Shamsipour, head of the Urban Research and Planning Center of Tehran Municipality, has highlighted plans and ongoing efforts to restore heritage sites damaged during the recent war involving the United States and the Israeli regime.
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2026-07-01 20:10
By Afshin Majlesi
War, memory and the race to save a civilization
An interview with Dr. Jebrael Nokandeh, Director of the National Museum of Iran
TEHRAN – What happens when one of the world's oldest civilizations is confronted with the realities of modern warfare? How do museums prepare for conflict, protect irreplaceable artifacts, and respond when cultural institutions come under threat? And what lessons have museum professionals learned from navigating these extraordinary challenges?
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2026-06-30 16:41
By Afshin Majlesi
Experts discuss strategies to protect cultural heritage and historic cities during wartime
TEHRAN – Iranian experts on Tuesday examined international approaches to safeguarding cultural heritage and the historical identity of cities during armed conflict, calling for stronger documentation, digital preservation, legal protection, and broader international cooperation while emphasizing the role of cultural resilience in the aftermath of war.
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2026-06-14 18:17
By Afshin Majlesi
Alborz artisans share their craft, passion and concerns
TEHRAN - World Handicrafts Day, observed annually on June 10, is an occasion to celebrate the creativity, skills and cultural heritage of artisans around the globe.
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2026-06-09 16:25
By Afshin Majlesi
Pamenar cited as model for youth return and women’s role in rural tourism development
TEHRAN – Pamenar Village in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province has emerged as an example of how rural tourism can help reverse migration, create jobs and strengthen local participation, with young residents and women playing a central role in the village’s development, a tourism official said the Tehran Times on Monday.
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2026-05-31 17:32
By Afshin Majlesi
Riab, an example of heritage preservation, sustainable tourism and community participation
TEHRAN – The historical village of Riab in eastern Iran is emerging as a leading example of heritage preservation, sustainable tourism and community participation as it seeks international recognition through the United Nations Tourism (UN Tourism) Best Tourism Villages initiative.
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2026-05-30 17:54
Qaleh Bala: Where community-based governance aligns with wildlife conservation
TEHRAN - The village of Qaleh Bala, located at the “Golden Gate” of Touran National Park, has become a shining model of participatory governance and community-based environmental conservation in Iran.
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2026-05-30 08:25
By Afshin Majlesi
Bajestan: A quiet treasure beyond Iran’s tourist trail
TEHRAN - Set against the plain beauty of eastern Iran’s desert landscapes, the ancient city of Bajestan remains one of the lesser-known destinations of the country, despite possessing a remarkable combination of history, architecture, and natural scenery.
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2026-05-25 20:28
By Afshin Majlesi
Eco-lodges offer tourists a window into traditional rural life
TEHRAN - In the mountainous villages, desert settlements and forested regions of Iran, a growing network of eco-lodges has become more than a form of rural accommodation.
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2026-01-24 17:17
By Afshin Majlesi
Tribal tourism: visiting a traditional world in the modern age
TEHRAN - Tribes are a proud and living part of Iran’s civilization, and their thousands of years of experience have turned travel among them into a unique and memorable journey. In an age shaped by speed, technology, and urban life, such a tourism genre offers visitors a rare chance to encounter a way of living that remains closely connected to nature.
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2026-01-21 17:20
By Afshin Majlesi
Water leaks, ground subsidence raise concerns at Isfahan’s UNESCO-listed mosque
TEHRAN - Iranian authorities and heritage experts are racing to contain what they describe as a structural threat to parts of the UNESCO-registered Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, also known as the Atiq Mosque, after a limited ground subsidence, water leakage and rising moisture were detected around one of the world’s most important Islamic monuments.
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2026-01-18 17:00
By Afshin Majlesi
At Tchogha Zanbil, a living monument to Elamite faith and engineering
On a serene plain in southwestern Iran, the stepped ziggurat of Tchogha Zanbil has stood for more than 3,500 years, making it the best-preserved ziggurat outside Mesopotamia and one of the rare surviving monuments of the Elamite civilization.
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2026-01-06 17:12
By Afshin Majlesi
Sarakhieh, Iran’s little Venice
At first, it is hard to believe such a place exists in Iran. But deep inside the vast Shadegan wetland in Khuzestan province, there is a village where water is the main road and boats replace cars. This village is Sarakhieh, often called Iran’s “Little Venice.”
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2026-01-04 17:11
By Afshin Majlesi
Shushtar residents call for UNESCO listing of historical urban fabric
SHUSHTAR (Khuzestan province) - Residents of the historic city of Shushtar in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province have launched a public campaign calling for the inscription of the city’s historical urban fabric on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, citing its cultural, architectural and living heritage value.
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2025-12-19 17:09
By Afshin Majlesi
Golestan at a glance: forests, ancient monuments and Caspian landscapes
GORGAN - Golestan is one of the least visited provinces in Iran, yet for many travelers who take the time to explore it, the region may quickly become a favorite destination.
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2025-12-14 17:42
By Afshin Majlesi
An inside look at Gorgan’s tribal festival
The 17th International Festival of Tribal Culture, scheduled to take place in Gorgan, the capital of Iran’s Golestan province, from Dec. 16 to 19, is often described as a celebration. But to see it only as a cultural event is to miss its deeper significance.
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2025-12-09 17:07
By Afshin Majlesi
Sa’dabad director outlines major restoration, conservation push at former royal complex in Tehran
TEHRAN – The director of the Sa’dabad Cultural-Historical Complex says the former royal residence in northern Tehran has accelerated restoration and conservation work, completing a long-delayed digital inventory of its holdings while advancing new projects to safeguard thousands of stored objects.