First boutique hotel to make debut in Sistan-Baluchestan

TEHRAN – The first boutique hotel in Sistan-Baluchestan will be officially inaugurated within the next few days. The southeastern Iranian province is home to various lesser-known cultural sites and raw beauties.

Iranian Tour Operators Association pursues tourist visas resumption

TEHRAN – Iranian Tour Operators Association is formulating a proposal for the resumption of tourist visas after months of suspension amid strict government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Glimpses of traditional skills of carpet weaving in Fars

TEHRAN – Admired for their intricate designs, lavish colors, and peerless craftsmanship, Persian carpets have not only found their way into households, but also onto workplaces and art galleries to name a few.

Museum of traditional sweets set to open in Yazd

TEHRAN – A museum dedicated to confectionery and traditional sweets is set to be launched in the UNESCO-registered city of Yazd, which is famed for its local foods and edible souvenirs.

Tehran palace complexes named most-visited during new year holiday

TEHRAN – The three historical palace complexes of Sa’dabad, Golestan, and Niavaran were named the most-visited “cultural heritage museums and sites” in Iran during the two-week New Year (Noruz) holidays, which ended on April 2, the museum director has said.

Tourist map of Damavand issued

TEHRAN – The first comprehensive tourist map of Mt Damavand, which is home to the tallest volcano in Asia, has been issued recently.

Iran hotels remain open as fourth coronavirus wave gains momentum

TEHRAN – Iranian hotels and other accommodation units remain open as the fourth coronavirus wave gains momentum across the country.

70 historical petroglyphs discovered in central Iran

 TEHRAN – A total of 70 historical rock-carved petroglyphs, which experts believe date back to the Sassanid era, have recently been discovered in Mahallat county of Markazi province in central Iran.

Coronavirus: outbound travels slump by 85% during Iranian New Year holiday

TEHRAN – Iran’s outbound travels fell by 85 percent during the New Year (Noruz) holiday (March 21-April 4) compared with two years earlier, according to the head of the Association of Iranian Travel Agencies.

Three historical objects discovered in Siraf port

TEHRAN - Three historical objects have recently been identified in the ancient port of Siraf in southwest Iran.

Landscaping project conducted at mausoleum of Sufi scholar

TEHRAN – A landscaping project has been completed on the premises of the mausoleum of Sufi Shaykh Zayn al-Din Abu Bakr Taybadi (d.1389 CE), who was an Iranian mystic and Sufi.

By Afshin Majlesi

Six destinations to visit in Hamedan when travel opens up

TEHRAN – It is more than a year since many countries around the world have imposed sweeping travel bans and advisories to stem the spread of novel coronavirus within their borders and beyond.

Objects, once smuggled to Switzerland, to go on show at home

TEHRAN – A once-smuggled collection of glazed bricks, which has been returned to Iran from Switzerland, will go on show in the city of Bukan, which is said to be their place of origin in western Iran.

Historical arch bridge to undergo urgent restoration near Tehran

TEHRAN – Restoration and vital rehabilitation works will commence soon on Pol-e Khatun; a centuries-old arch bridge near capital Tehran. 

Sea trips in Iran grow over Noruz holidays

TEHRAN – Maritime trips ramped up over the recent Iranian New Year (Noruz) holidays as some 1.4 million maritime excursions were made over the two-week period.

Documentary to unravel fascinating secrets of Iron Age site in western Iran

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Keyvan Tabatabaei-Samimi has made a documentary on Ganj Dareh, which was once an Iron Age settlement in western Iran. The site is also one of the cradles of agriculture and livestock domestication in West Asia.

Iran says no plan yet to suspend Turkey flights due to virus

TEHRAN – The Association of Iranian Airlines (AIA) on Sunday announced that it has no plan at present to suspend flights to and from Turkey due to the spread of a new coronavirus variant.

Lufthansa to resume Frankfurt-Tehran flights this month

TEHRAN - German airline Lufthansa announced on Friday that it would resume flights from Frankfurt to Tehran from April 16.

Symposium to explore Iran tourism over past 100 years

TEHRAN – Iran will be hosting a specialized symposium to explore its tourism ups and downs over the past 100 years. The symposium is scheduled to be held in the second half of the current Iranian calendar year.

Iranians mark Nature Day at home amid coronavirus fears 

TEHRAN – As the government has imposed a ban on outdoor get-togethers, people in Iran celebrated the national festival of Nature Day, called Sizdah Bedar, to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Coronavirus cases rise in Iran as millions travel during holiday

TEHRAN – The number of coronavirus cases has been rising in Iran after millions traveled across the country during the Noruz holiday, which officially began on March 20.

Rey historical sites, premises being cleaned prior to Iranian new year

TEHRAN – A cleaning project has been commenced on various historical sites and tourist destinations which are scattered across the ancient town of Rey; now attached to the Iranian capital.

Restoration works aim to prepare Sassanid sites for UNESCO tag

TEHRAN – The cultural heritage directorate of Kermanshah has ratified restoration projects for five Sassanid-era sites located in the western Iranian province.

COVID-19 inflicts $1.1 billion in losses on Isfahan tourism

TEHRAN – The tourism industry of Isfahan province has suffered a loss of some 48,000 billion rials (about $1.1 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, a provincial tourism official announced on Sunday.

New tourism destination to emerge near Persepolis

TEHRAN – Tall-e Ajori, which has recently yielded the ruins of a majestic historical gateway, would be turned into a tourism destination. The archaeological site is situated near the UNESCO-registered Persepolis in southern Iran.

D-8 conferences discuss impact of coronavirus on member states

Tehran – Member states of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, on Wednesday discussed the impact of coronavirus on the tourism sector as well as ways to rebound.

Campaign launched to promote handicrafts as Noruz gifts

TEHRAN – The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism has launched a social campaign for using domestic handicrafts as gifts to celebrate Noruz, the Iranian New Year.

Museums dedicated to endogenous crafts inaugurated in Shahr-e Kord

TEHRAN – Two museums dedicated to indigenous handicrafts were officially inaugurated in the city of Shahr-e Kord, the capital of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province, on Wednesday.