Global audiences gain access to Iranian heritage through 24-hour TV

TEHRAN — Meysam Shokripour, manager of Persepolis Internet TV, has said the first 24-hour channel dedicated to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, launched less than a year ago, allows audiences worldwide to access Iranian cultural and historical content, including Persepolis, via mobile phones, computers and smart TVs.

Garmsar eyes turning salt mines into tourist attractions

TEHRAN — Garmsar Governor Ali Hemmati has announced plans to develop several salt mines into tourist attractions as part of the city’s priority programs.

Archaeologists evacuate Gaza artefacts from storehouse threatened by Israeli strike

TEHRAN – Archaeologists evacuated nearly three decades of finds from a Gaza City building on Wednesday after Israeli authorities warned it would be targeted in an air strike, officials said.

Rural literary tourism route launched in Kandelous, northern Iran

TEHRAN – Iran has inaugurated a rural literary tourism route in the village of Kandelous in northern Mazandaran province, linking local folklore with cultural and ecological tourism, officials said.

Archaeological work begins at Persepolis

TEHRAN – A new phase of archaeological excavations has begun in the core protected zone of Persepolis in southern Iran to determine the exact boundaries of historic remains, the site director said on Saturday.

Iran calls for closer cultural, economic cooperation with Bashkortostan through handicrafts

TEHRAN — Iran’s deputy minister for handicrafts and traditional arts said on Saturday that handicrafts can serve as a tool for developing the creative economy and cultural diplomacy, proposing joint initiatives with Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan.

Iran enters a new level of ties with Armenia, tourism minister says

TEHRAN- Iran has reached a new level of leapfrogging relations with Armenia, said Minister of Cultural Heritage Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri.

Iran pushes for UNESCO recognition of its ancient windmills

TEHRAN – Iran is seeking UNESCO World Heritage status for its centuries-old Asbads, traditional vertical-axis windmills primarily located in South Khorasan province, a senior official underlined on Saturday.

‘ICIMWB is a successful center under auspices of UNESCO’

TEHRAN – The International Center for Integrated Management of Watershed and Bio-Resources in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions (ICIMWB), as one of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) category 2 centers in the field of water and natural sciences, has managed to gain an important position in implementing scientific and educational programs related to comprehensive watershed management, Hamid Nouri, the head of ICIMWB has said.

Commemorative stamp unveiled to mark Khorramabad’s UNESCO World Heritage inscription

KHORRAMABAD — In a landmark celebration of Iran’s deep prehistory, a commemorative stamp honoring the Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley has officially been unveiled at Falak-ol-Aflak Castle.

Iran seeks to expand tourism ties with Iraq

TEHRAN – Iran aims to broaden tourism cooperation with Iraq across four sectors, a senior industry official said.

Scaffolding taken down from Qazvin Jameh Mosque after 15 years

TEHRAN – Scaffolding has been removed from the southern iwan of Qazvin’s Jameh Mosque after nearly 15 years, marking the completion of a major restoration project, the provincial cultural heritage chief said on Thursday.

Tehran to host conference on UNESCO listing of Khorramabad Valley sites

TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism minister has said a national conference will be held in Tehran to celebrate and promote the UNESCO inscription of the Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley, which were added to the World Heritage list in July.

Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra to perform at Persepolis, minister confirms

TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has said that the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra will stage a concert on Sept. 6 at Persepolis, the UNESCO World Heritage site near Shiraz, to mark the orchestra’s 100th anniversary.

House of Forough Farrokhzad to turn into museum after restoration

TEHRAN--Mohammad Nazem Razavi, the CEO of Tehran Municipality Cultural Spaces Development Company, announced the approval of the plan to restore the house of the famed poet Forough Farrokhzad, and convert it into a museum.

‘Oldest handicrafts’ traced to Lorestan, local official says

TEHRAN – Iran’s oldest known handicrafts have been traced to its Lorestan province, according to a local official.

Iran to host intl. Lut Desert tourism conference focused on investment, sustainability

TEHRAN – An international conference on tourism in Iran’s Lut Desert will be held with a focus on investment and sustainable development, a provincial tourism official said on Wednesday.

Trans-Iranian Railway among top 5 registered by UNESCO

TEHRAN—Only five railways are on the UNESCO list, which are from Austria, India, Switzerland, Italy, and Iran, said Vahidali Qardashi, head of the World Heritage Site of the Trans-Iranian Railway.

Study of ancient rock-carved structures launched in Kermanshah

TEHRAN – A project to study, document, and conduct laboratory research on ancient rock-carved structures in Kermanshah province has begun, an archaeologist who leads the project said on Monday.

Fars province, cradle of the Achaemenid Empire, seeks tourism rise

TEHRAN – Iran’s Fars province, home to ancient Achaemenid sites including Persepolis and Pasargadae, recorded 7.4 million tourist visits last year, officials said, as the government steps up efforts to position the region as a leading cultural tourism hub.

Royal Ilkhanid cemetery unearthed near UNESCO-listed Soltaniyeh Dome

TEHRAN – Archaeologists have uncovered parts of a royal Ilkhanid cemetery adjacent to the UNESCO-listed Soltaniyeh Dome in west-central Iran, the head of the excavation team said on Sunday.

Iran monitors subsidence at UNESCO-listed Gonbad-e Qabus tower

TEHRAN – Iranian heritage authorities are carrying out subsidence monitoring and technology studies on the UNESCO-listed Gonbad-e Qabus tower in Golestan province, the provincial tourism chief said on Saturday.

Sassanid-era Vigol fire temple undergoes restoration

TEHRAN – Restoration work has commenced on the Vigol fire temple, a rare archaeological site from the Sassanid era located in the central province of Isfahan, the provincial tourism chief said on Saturday.

8,000-year-old Tepe Sialk proposed for UNESCO World Heritage listing

TEHRAN - Tepe Sialk, a c. 8,000-year-old archaeological site in Kashan, central Iran, has been placed on Iran’s shortlist of potential UNESCO World Heritage sites, an official said, as efforts to resolve legal and conservation issues around the site’s protected area gain momentum.

National Museum of Iran celebrates UNESCO inscription of Khorramabad Valley Prehistoric Sites

TEHRAN – A ceremony marking the UNESCO World Heritage inscription of the Prehistoric Sites of Khorramabad Valley took place on Tuesday at the National Museum of Iran.

By Afshin Majlesi

Restoration of Arnaldo Pomodoro’s 3-ton bronze sphere underway in Tehran

TEHRAN - Conservation work has begun on a 3,000-kilogram bronze sculpture by the late Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro at a museum in northern Tehran.

1000-year-old carved tombstone discovered in UNESCO-listed Yazd

TEHRAN - A historic tombstone dating back almost 1,000 years has been uncovered during restoration work at Dowlatshahi Mosque in the UNESCO-listed city of Yazd, central Iran.

Expert calls for four-year plan to restore historic bazaar in Lar

TEHRAN - A senior regional development planning expert has proposed the development of a four-year restoration plan for the Qeysarieh Bazaar in Lar, southern Iran, involving private sector participation and non-governmental organizations.