Travel

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  • FM backs scientific conservation during visit to centuries-old cannon project 2026-08-05 16:40

    FM backs scientific conservation during visit to centuries-old cannon project

    TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has stressed the importance of scientifically preserving the country's cultural heritage during a visit to the restoration workshop of the historic Pearl Cannon (Toop-e Morvarid), describing the protection of historical monuments as safeguarding Iran's identity, historical memory and civilizational legacy.

  • UNESCO committee approves conservation report for Iran's Hegmataneh 2026-08-05 16:40

    UNESCO committee approves conservation report for Iran's Hegmataneh

    TEHRAN – The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has approved Iran's conservation report for the World Heritage site of Hegmataneh, confirming that the site's protection, management and restoration measures comply with the committee's requirements, provincial heritage officials said on Wednesday.

  • University of Tehran archaeologist warns against repeat of Jiroft civilization looting 2026-08-05 16:39

    University of Tehran archaeologist warns against repeat of Jiroft civilization looting

    TEHRAN – A University of Tehran archaeologist has warned of a rise in illegal excavations at archaeological sites in Iran’s Jiroft plain, urging authorities to take immediate action to prevent further damage to one of the country’s most significant ancient heritage areas.

  • French archaeologist calls for more research into Sasanian military architecture 2026-08-04 17:36

    French archaeologist calls for more research into Sasanian military architecture

    TEHRAN – French architectural researcher and archaeologist Jean-Claude Voisin has highlighted the need for further studies on Sasanian military architecture, describing it as a field that reflects interactions among Roman, Byzantine and Central Asian traditions while remaining one of the less explored areas of ancient Iranian studies.

  • Heritage benefactor steps forward to restore Isfahan's historic Sheikh Bahai Bathhouse 2026-08-04 17:16

    Heritage benefactor steps forward to restore Isfahan's historic Sheikh Bahai Bathhouse

    TEHRAN – The first private philanthropist to support the restoration of a historical monument in Iran's central province of Isfahan has pledged about 60 billion rials (some $33,000) to help revive the centuries-old Sheikh Bahai Bathhouse, provincial cultural heritage officials said on Monday.

  • Alireza Tabesh, chief executive of the Tourism Group of the Social Security Organization (HEGTA) 2026-08-04 16:59

    HEGTA chief highlights Ardabil’s potential as a storytelling destination

    TEHRAN – Alireza Tabesh, chief executive of the Tourism Group of the Social Security Organization (HEGTA), has described Ardabil as a destination that needs to be introduced through storytelling, saying the province’s rich historical, cultural, natural and spiritual capacities have yet to be presented to visitors as a coherent tourism experience.

  • Seven fortresses, one strategy: How the Alamut defensive network worked 2026-08-02 17:30

    Seven fortresses, one strategy: How the Alamut defensive network worked

    TEHRAN - When the name Alamut is mentioned, many people picture a castle standing atop a towering cliff. However, what has now been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as “Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications” is far more than a single fortress. It is a complex network of seven mountain strongholds that, between the 11th and 13th centuries CE, formed one of the most advanced defensive systems of medieval Iran through the combined use of geography, architecture, water management and spatial organization.

  • 'Shiraz historical district restoration should rely on AI, future studies' 2026-08-02 17:29

    'Shiraz historical district restoration should rely on AI, future studies'

    TEHRAN – The director-general of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Fars province has called for the use of artificial intelligence, advanced technologies and future-oriented approaches in the preservation and revitalization of Shiraz’s historic urban fabric.

  • Iran plans fifth gastronomy festival in Armenia to promote cultural ties 2026-08-02 17:29

    Iran plans fifth gastronomy festival in Armenia to promote cultural ties

    TEHRAN – Iran is planning to hold the fifth edition of a gastronomy festival in Armenia, with a focus on promoting the country’s culinary heritage, national tourism brand, and handicrafts, the deputy tourism minister said.

  • Mahalat: Discover the Netherlands of Iran 2026-08-01 17:42

    Mahalat: Discover 'the Netherlands of Iran'

    Nestled in Iran’s Markazi province, Mahalat is a charming city celebrated for its mild climate, natural beauty, and rich historical heritage. Known nationwide as the City of Flowers and Plants and often referred to as the “Netherlands of Iran,” Mahalat has become one of the country’s most distinctive travel destinations, attracting visitors with its colorful landscapes, ancient monuments, therapeutic hot springs, and thriving horticultural industry.

  • Blue Shield markers being installed on ancient bridges in Lorestan 2026-08-01 17:40

    Blue Shield markers being installed on ancient bridges in Lorestan

    TEHRAN - Blue Shield emblems are being installed on historic bridges in the western province of Lorestan as part of efforts to protect cultural heritage sites during armed conflict, the provincial cultural heritage chief said.

  • Touraj Daryaee 2026-07-31 15:45

    By Sahar Dadjoo

    Destruction of Iran's cultural sites by Israel, US tantamount to destroying a civilization

    Historian Touraj Daryaee says international law is nearly powerless against superpowers, but UNESCO status could deter future attacks

    TEHRAN – Since US and Israeli strikes began in February, over 130 registered monuments and museums across Iran have sustained damage, from the Golestan Palace to historic quarters in Isfahan, Kordestan, and Lorestan. In an exclusive interview with Tehran Times, Touraj Daryaee, historian of ancient Iran and editor of Encyclopaedia Iranica, discusses the emotional and scholarly weight of watching millennia-old heritage damaged within weeks, the limits of international legal accountability, and what the destruction means for how Iran's history will be told and remembered.

  • VP calls cultural heritage key to national unity, soft power 2026-07-31 15:45

    VP calls cultural heritage key to national unity, soft power

    TEHRAN – Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref on Thursday described the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts as the country's "ministry of defending civilization and soft victories," saying Iran's cultural heritage remains one of the country's strongest sources of national unity and international influence.

  • Lut Desert offers untapped potential for science, geotourism, experts say 2026-07-29 17:35

    Lut Desert offers untapped potential for science, geotourism, experts say

    TEHRAN – Iran’s Lut Desert, one of the hottest places on Earth and a UNESCO World Heritage site, holds significant potential for scientific research, education and nature-based tourism, researchers said at a conference marking the 10th anniversary of the desert’s inscription on the World Heritage list.

  • Mostazafan Foundation launches museum card to encourage visits 2026-07-29 16:49

    Mostazafan Foundation launches museum card to encourage visits

    TEHRAN - Iran’s Dafineh Museums Institute on Wednesday unveiled a special museum card that will allow holders to visit participating museums across the country, with organizers aiming to expand the scheme beyond the institute’s own museums through partnerships with public and private institutions.

  • Kermanshah among West Asia’s oldest human settlement areas, researcher says 2026-07-28 17:00

    Kermanshah among West Asia’s oldest human settlement areas, researcher says

    TEHRAN – Kermanshah is one of the oldest known areas of human settlement in the Iranian Plateau and West Asia, with archaeological evidence indicating human presence dating back as far as one million years, Iranian researcher and historian Mohsen Derekeh said on Monday.

  • Online monitoring system planned for tourists from Afghanistan and Pakistan 2026-07-28 16:58

    Online monitoring system planned for tourists from Afghanistan and Pakistan

    TEHRAN - Iran plans to launch a pilot program to monitor in real time the entry, stay and departure of tourists from Afghanistan and Pakistan, following a meeting of government agencies that approved the executive framework and oversight requirements for the initiative.

  • Kordestan sets up Arbaeen handicrafts markets along border route 2026-07-28 16:57

    Kordestan sets up Arbaeen handicraft markets along border route

    TEHRAN – Iran's western Kordestan province has established volunteer service stations, handicrafts markets and tourism promotion programs along routes leading to the Bashmaq border crossing as Arbaeen pilgrims begin traveling to Iraq, provincial officials said on Tuesday.

  • UNESCO-listed Alamut reflects Iran’s military architecture, enduring cultural legacy: expert 2026-07-27 17:35

    UNESCO-listed Alamut reflects Iran’s military architecture, enduring cultural legacy: expert

    TEHRAN – The recent inscription of Iran’s “Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications” on UNESCO’s World Heritage list recognizes the site’s outstanding military architecture, historical significance and continuing cultural legacy, veteran Iranian archaeologist Rajab-Ali Labaf-Khaniki said.

  • One-day tours can boost local economies if managed properly, researcher says 2026-07-27 17:34

    One-day tours can boost local economies if managed properly, researcher says

    TEHRAN - One-day tours can stimulate local economies, strengthen community ties and ease pressure on crowded tourism destinations, but only if they are supported by effective planning and management, an Iranian tourism researcher said.

  • 7,500-year-old Tepe Sialk undergoes restoration work 2026-07-26 17:12

    7,500-year-old Tepe Sialk undergoes restoration work

    TEHRAN – Iranian authorities have launched the second phase of restoration work at the Tepe Sialk archaeological site in Kashan following the completion of improvements to the site's entrance, a provincial cultural heritage official said on Sunday.

  • Alamut Castle inscribed as Iran’s 30th UNESCO World Heritage site 2026-07-26 14:12

    UNESCO grants World Heritage status to Iran’s Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications

    TEHRAN – Iran’s “Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications” has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, becoming the country’s 30th tangible cultural heritage property to receive the prestigious international designation.

  • Ancient Espi Mazget up for restoration, tourism development by private sector 2026-07-25 17:21

    Ancient Espi Mazget up for restoration, tourism development by private sector

    TEHRAN - Authorities in Iran's northern Gilan province plan to protect, restore and develop the historic Espi Mazget monument for tourism through a partnership with a private investor, a senior provincial official said during a visit to the site on Saturday.

  • Tehran, Seoul discuss roadmap for cultural, tourism cooperation at UNESCO meeting 2026-07-24 18:17

    Tehran, Seoul discuss roadmap for cultural, tourism cooperation at UNESCO meeting

    TEHRAN - Iran's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri and South Korea's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young agreed on Friday to pursue closer cooperation in cultural heritage, tourism, handicrafts and creative industries during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 48th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Busan.

  • Iran says six border crossings ready for Arbaeen pilgrim traffic 2026-07-24 18:16

    Iran says six border crossings ready for Arbaeen pilgrim traffic

    TEHRAN - Iran has completed preparations at six main border crossings with Iraq for the upcoming annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, introducing upgraded cooling systems, expanded passenger facilities and redesigned transport services to improve the movement of millions of pilgrims, a senior road transport official said on Friday.

  • Three cool escapes near Tehran for an affordable family day trip 2026-07-24 18:13

    Three cool escapes near Tehran for an affordable family day trip

    TEHRAN - As summer temperatures rise in Tehran, many residents look for short, affordable getaways that offer cooler weather without the cost of an overnight stay. Within less than two hours of the capital, several destinations provide fresh mountain air, natural scenery and opportunities for hiking, picnicking and family outings.

  • UNESCO-listed Bisotun prepares to receive Arbaeen pilgrims, official says 2026-07-22 16:23

    UNESCO-listed Bisotun prepares to receive Arbaeen pilgrims, official says

    TEHRAN – The UNESCO-listed Bisotun archaeological site has completed preparations to receive pilgrims travelling to Iraq for Arbaeen commemorations, with authorities planning to hold a handicrafts market along the pilgrimage route, the site’s executive director said on Wednesday.

  • 30 Iranian NGOs, institutions call for intl. action to protect cultural heritage after war damage 2026-07-21 19:59

    30 Iranian NGOs, institutions call for intl. action to protect cultural heritage after war damage

    TEHRAN - A coalition of 30 Iranian non-governmental organizations and cultural heritage institutions has called on international organizations, including UNESCO, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to take urgent action to protect Iran's cultural heritage following damage to historical sites during the recent military conflict involving Iran and the combined forces of the United States and the Israeli regime.

  • Iran’s East Azarbaijan, Kazakhstan seeks to expand tourism co-op 2026-07-21 19:59

    Iran’s East Azarbaijan, Kazakhstan seeks to expand tourism co-op

    TEHRAN - The head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department in East Azarbaijan said on Tuesday that Tabriz is ready to host tourism delegations from Kazakhstan as the two countries seek to expand cooperation in tourism, museums, handicrafts and cultural exchanges.

  • Tehran, Minsk move to expand tourism ties 2026-07-20 17:15

    Tehran, Minsk move to expand tourism ties

    TEHRAN – Iran and Belarus are moving to strengthen tourism cooperation, with direct flights between Tehran and Minsk set to be launched after Belarus granted the necessary aviation approvals, officials from both countries said at a meeting in Tehran.